Academy of Sciences Cafe

One of my pet peeves is when I'm stuck in a situation where I have to eat with no choice of restaurant.  Much like an electoral vote in North Korea, I had only one place to choose from - the Academy of Sciences Cafe.  I pleaded with Viv to go outside in search of better eats to no avail.  Somehow she has this thing about paying for something and wanting to squeeze every little thing out of it.  Oh yeah, that was the 16-hour day at Disneyworld last year...  Curses!  Hence, I reluctantly lined up in the madhouse of hungry people.

Surprisingly, there was a diverse selection of food including Chinese steamed buns and a chicken Pho.  They ran out of buns and I wasn't all that excited about paying $14.00 for a bowl of pho.  So I ended up getting the boring Cheeseburger. I was really surprised with my Cheeseburger as it featured a thick, freshly-made patty.  It was not overcooked being moist and meaty. My daughter had the the Fish n' Chips which were far too wet and soggy despite the freshness of the fish.  In fact, the flakiness and moist texture was completely ruined by the greasy limp batter.  The fries were crispy and light though.  I thought their take on tartar sauce (with mustard seeds, dill and onion) was a nice departure from the regular.  It did need more acidity though. 

Of all the choices, my son went back to the well with the Mac n' Cheese featuring Tilamook cheddar.  It was actually decent with a cheesy creaminess.  For once, a version that didn't taste generic.  For Viv she decided on a plain ol' Turkey BLT and a side of Corn Chowder.  Well, the sammie was pretty simple, but well-executed with crispy bacon and fresh produce.  I liked the pillowy soft bread as well. The corn chowder was not creamy enough being mainly reliant on a roux.  It was sweet with the crunch of the corn.  So there you have it, an exciting post about cafeteria food at a tourist attraction.  But honestly, I gotta admit that it wasn't half bad.  No wonder it was so busy...

The Good:
- Convenient, so you don't have to leave the attraction
- Lots of variety
- Food is decent

The Bad:
- Expect a premium to be paid though
- What's with the different lineups?