Jennifer,
One of mine and my wife's favorite lunch is not a character meal, but a meal filled with a lot of character (and sass!). Without question, the
50's Prime Time Cafe is one of our favorite meals anywhere. The service is fun, the food was great (fried chicken!), and the dessert was perfect (a malted chocolate shake for me, s'mores for her!). It is not only one of our favorite overall Walt Disney World restaurants, but our favorite place in all of Hollywood Studios as well.
As for the Mama Melrose dinner, make sure you try their flatbreads. I love them.
Does that answer your question?
By the way, I feel like I am going with you after all these conversations! I want a trip report on how it all went!
Have a magical (and delicious) vacation!