Favorites From the 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

By: Nick-Co writer and editor of the Disney Musings Blog

Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival kicks off in just a few weeks, running from September 19th to November 10th. Menus for the 2014 Marketplaces can be found here.

Every year, when making a plan of attack for the Festival,  I intend on hitting EVERY booth to try at least one item from each, and inevitably I miss a few. For one reason or another, last year I missed even more than usual. But, I thought I'd share some favorites, several of which are returning this year, and also some selections that I wish I hadn't made, and will be sure to avoid this year!

We visited on September 29th, 2013, the third official day of the Festival.

Our first stop was Greece, which has always served one of my wife's favorites, the Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey. This year however, she thought it was a little greasier than usual, which could have just been a one off, as I thought mine was the same as in years past. We also got the Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce, which was very good, if very heavy on the onion.

 

 
Next was a stop at the Refreshment Port which is newly offering selections for the Festival. We only got one thing, the Dole Pineapple Fritters, and really liked them. Essentially these are deep fried pineapple rings.

Next door is Canada, and we picked up the always good Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, which seemed even better this year, the "Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce, an excellent selection, and a new item, the Seared Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee and Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette, another winner. Year after year this booth is a top choice.

We started walking back towards the Mexican Pavilion side, to a favorite, the Argentina booth.

Along the way we stopped at Hawaii, where I had the Tuna Poke with Seaweed Salad and Lotus Root Chip, which never lets me down.

Next to this was another new kiosk, Scotland. I'd been anticipating the Scotch flight, but thought I'd get to it later in the trip. Sadly I didn't. Instead I got the Seared Scottish Salmon with Cauliflower Puree, Watercress and Malt Vinaigrette, which disappointed me. The fish was dry, and the puree fairly flavorless.

We made our way to Argentina for our perennial favorite, the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree, with high hopes that this would be a high to the Scottish Salmon low.

Wrong! This was unfortunately a let down this year, as the beef was overcooked, and there was little sauce on them. In the future, I'll ask if they can give me one less well done, and try to get extra sauce as well.

 
By now, it was about 12:30 pm, HOT, and already getting crowded. We decided to hit the Mexico Pavilion, where a favorite activity of mine is to get a Tequila Flight at La Cava del Tequila and take a ride on the Gran Fiesta Tour.

As we were about to go into the Mexico Pavilion, we stopped at the Mexico booth, which is located out in front. We got what had been a hit with my wife last year, but had been way too spicy for me, the Taco de Rib-eye with Salsa de Chipotle. This year the heat was turned way down, and we both loved them! A strong finish to a shaky start.

We returned the next evening, and this time, started in France. We shared the Boeuf Bourguignon (Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet with Mashed Potatoes), and Crème Brûlée au Chocolat au Lait (Chocolate Milk Crème Brûlée topped with Caramelized Sugar), both terrific, but Barbie wanted no part in the Escargots Persillade en Brioche (Garlic and Parsley Snails in Brioche), despite the fact that you honestly cannot taste anything but garlic and butter. These are awesome, and I get them every year. Pictured with the food is what was my favorite beer of the Fesitval, Kronenbourg Blanc. It is a Witbier, one of my favorite beer styles. It has a light citrus undertone, perfect for a hot humid evening.

We skipped a bunch of booths on our way to the Florida Local kiosk, mainly because they are serving a beer from a highly regarded brewery, Cigar City, which doesn't distribute much to the Northeast USA yet. I got their Cracker Belgian-style White Ale, and it was very good, I'd absolutely recommend trying. I also had the Florida Grass Fed Beef Slider with Monterey Jack and Sweet & Hot Pickles, which I loved, but which didn't impress Barbie.

Continuing on, Barbie wanted to try the Ravioli de formaggio all’emiliana in Italy, one of 2 items a friend had raved about. We also got the Salsiccia e ‘Papacelli” Napoletani (sausage).The Ravioli was good as always, but the Sausage was terrific.

Skipping a few more booths, with the thought that we'd get back to them, which we never did, we visited South Korea for the other menu selection Barbie had heard was great, the Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce. While in line we heard a humorous exchange where a child very stubbornly declared that she would under no circumstance eat dog. Well, if she didn't, she missed out, because it really was delicious, and the photo below doesn't do it justice.

Our last stop of the evening topped them all however. We had the Seared Mahi Mahi with Jasmine Rice and “Singa” Sauce at Singapore, and it was tremendous, among the best dishes I had at the Festival. Again, the picture does it absolutely no justice.

We didn't hit any more of the food kiosks for a few more days, until October 3rd, when we met up with a friend at the American Pavilion. Before heading all the way back there though, I stopped at the Craft Beers booth and got a Namaste from Dogfish Head Brewery to get me through the long, hot walk. This is another Witbier, and another wonderful beer from one of the best brewers in the US.

Back at the American Pavilion, we all split the Craisin® Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Anglaise from the Hops & Barley kiosk. Despite the fact that it is bread pudding, it was extremely light, and didn't sit on the stomach like a brick, as some bread puddings do.

We next hit Belgium, for the Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream and Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote featuring Driscoll’s® Berries and Whipped Cream. Waffles with fruit and chocolate. Need I say more? I had a Leffe Brune, a Belgian Dark Ale with the waffles, and it paired nicely. Beer. Waffles. Not really any way you can go wrong here.

We decided to hit Spaceship Earth, but to do that, we needed to have more dessert. I'm not really sure how this evening turned into the sugar and booze fest it became, but, there it is. 

To get all the way back around to the front of World Showcase, I got a beer in  the Japan Pavilion at the Saki Bar, a hefeweizen called Premium Unfiltered, which is the Japan Pavilions best kept secret as far as I'm concerned.

On the way out, we  stopped at the Desserts & Champagne marketplace again, and both Barbie and I got the Dessert Trio, which consists of:

• Chocolate Orange Cupcake
• Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
• Morello Cherry Pistachio Mousse

These were all great, the top of the Orange Cupcake being my favorite, I wish they'd have just served that in a bowl.

I also had the Pyramid™Weiss Cream Beer, a wheat ale, which was very light, but still tasty, and to be honest, you could have handed me just about anything at this point and I'd have been happy. 

So there you have it. I missed several kiosks that I wanted to try, and hope to get them this year.

I hope these reviews help you if you visit my favorite event ever, Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival!

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.

Disney's Animal Kingdom's Restaurantosaurus

By: Nick Maglio, co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog

 
Restaurantosaurus is a quick service restaurant located in the Dinoland USA section of Disney's Animal Kingdom, themed as a “dorm” where paleontology students live and dine, when they aren't digging for fossils nearby. It looks like it was cobbled together with various pieces of other buildings and even an Airstream Trailer.

 

The themeing here is extensive.

The menu is fairly limited, with Hot Dogs, Burgers, Chicken Sandwiches and nuggets. Kid's Picks are Turkey Wraps, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and a Cheeseburger, and come in a plastic pail with a shovel. For dessert there is chocolate mousse and cheesecake in a glass.

 

My wife had the Macaroni and Cheese Hot Dog, creamy Macaroni & Cheese and tasty Bacon Bits top our delicious Hot Dog, served in a fresh Bun with your choice of Apple Slices or French Fries. It was very tasty, but with too much bun.

 

I had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, a grilled Breast of Chicken topped with a Tomato, Garlic, and Basil Relish and Cheddar, served with choice of Apple Slives or French Fries. This was delicious, and I would absolutely get it again.

There is a fixins bar. I am not at all sure what all is in this, as there was a couple of covers over part of the bar when we were there.

Each room is cluttered with items they have managed to dig up, both out of the ground, and, apparently from junk shops and flea markets.

 

You can even eat in the trailer, which apparently is a highly coveted area.

There are clever puns throughout, and even notes and a bulletin board to read, with notes between "students".

 

The restaurant even has it's own soundtrack, with such songs as "It's the End of the World as We Know It" by R.E.M. and "Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Not Was).

This a really great place to get out of the heat, or to head to during a sudden shower, as there is plenty to look at. And the food is pretty good too!

This article was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.

Please LIKE Disney Musings on Facebook.

Beaches and Cream's Kitchen Sink

By: Barbie, co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog

The Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream

Imagine going into a restaurant and ordering a Kitchen Sink, and you really get the kitchen sink!
Well, at Beaches and Cream at the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in Walt Disney World, you do!
Despite the fact that it was freezing cold and January, that's what my husband and I did with our friends, Kandi and John. The lights in the restaurant dimmed, you could hear the crowd hush and people started clapping and ta dah! This is what was delivered to our table!

 Here's a listing of what this amazing dessert includes:
(thank you to disneyparks.com for this thorough breakdown) 

• fudge topping, warmed
• butterscotch topping, warmed
•  peanut butter topping, warmed
• 1 medium banana, sliced in 1/2 –inch slices
• 1 cinnamon spice cupcake, quartered
• 1 angel food cupcake, quartered
• 2 4-oz. scoops vanilla ice cream
• 2 4-oz. scoops chocolate ice cream
• 2 4-oz. scoops strawberry ice cream
• 1 4-oz. scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 1 4-oz. scoop coffee ice cream
• 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
•  marshmallow crème
•  strawberry topping
•  pineapple topping
• 1 14-oz can dairy whipped topping
• 1 brownie, quartered
• 1 regular-sized (2 ounce) candy bar, quartered
• 4 chocolate cookies (oreos-basically) with cream filling
• 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings
• 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slice
• 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels
• 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
• 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
• 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries

Barbie, Kandi, John, Nick

Look at us, we didn't know what we were getting into! We couldn't stop laughing once we saw what this was, and it was ours! The question now, could we finish it off? It's a long list of ingredients, too many to ponder on for any length of time...so did we finish it, and was it any good? Well, the consensus was that it was an fun and awesome dessert, that definitely needs to be shared with good friends; and yes, we absolutely were able to finish it off, and almost wound up licking the sink clean!!

Don't get the wrong idea, we're not done yet in this pic!

Barbie is co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog with her husband, Nick. 

Please LIKE Disney Musings on Facebook.

Be Our Guest For Dinner

By: Nick Maglio, co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog

Before I begin my review, I just want to say, if visiting Walt Disney World, you absolutely MUST go to Be Our Guest. It is not about the food, it is about the experience. You ARE in the Ballroom from Beauty and the Beast. You ARE in the West Wing! You'll see your host, the Beast! It is absolutely beautiful inside and out, the theming is a 10 out of 10.
But...

...our experience was sadly not as magical as we would have hoped.
We arrived for our reservation a bit early, a good idea, as there always seems to be a line.

Advanced Dining Reservations at the 6 month mark are a very highly suggested at this very popular establishment. We tried to add another couple 5 months prior to our visit, and we were unable to!

The wait was only a few minutes, and we were escorted in. I'd seen the exterior on our previous trip in October of 2012, but my jaw dropped the moment we entered the castle. None of my photos even come close to doing it justice.

We were seated in the ballroom by the West Wing, which I had to check out. On a future trip, I will request to be seated here for a different experience.

Our host, Beast, makes several appearances throughout the evening.

Our server was very friendly, but, as we'd discover, very inattentive.
For dinner, my wife and friend Kandi had the Layered Ratatouille,oven-baked zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes and caramelized onions sliced and layered with quinoa, served with a bell pepper sauce  for $15.99, which they both described as excellent. My wife actually said it was like the scene in the Pixar film "Ratatouille", where the critic was brought back to his childhood after trying the dish prepared by the "Little Chef", Remy.

 

Our friend John had the Grilled Strip Steak, with garlic-herb butter and pommes frites, $29.99.

 He ordered it medium well. It came out charred on the outside, but cooked fine on the inside, and he said it was okay. I tried his fries and they were excellent.

 

I ordered the Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop, with au gratin macaroni, seasonal vegetables and red wine au jus, $21.99.

The macaroni is a grown up mac and cheese, and it was very good, a little on the rich side. The pork chop was fine. The problem primarily being just 2 nights earlier, at the Hollywood Brown Derby, I'd had the world's BEST pork chop, as I've come to call it, and this was destined to not live up to that. 

After one bite, I realized I should have ordered something different.

 

As for the service, if we wanted anything, we had to locate and flag down our server. 

Then, there was the Grey Stuff, and dessert. 

I asked about the Grey Stuff, and we were told that it was only served for special occasions. As a friend pointed out, isn't the fact the we are at Walt Disney World a special enough occasion?! 

Luckily, our server took note that Kandi and John were wearing their Anniversary buttons, and brought us 2 dollops of the Grey Stuff...

... it's good, but not as delicious as the song would have us believe.

The desserts we ordered, however, were a let down.

 My wife had the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake, vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icing, which sounds amazing, but was described as bland, all the flavor being on top.

John and I each had the Triple Chocolate Cupcake, chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse filling, and chocolate ganache. Again, this sounds much better than it actually was.

At $3.99 each,  at least they didn't break the bank. 

So, a mixed bag here. Lackluster service, good, not outstanding, food, but arguably the best themed restaurant in the World. 

We will certainly be back, and I will give a different entree and dessert a try, because where else can you get a photo op like this one of my wife and me dancing in Beast's Ballroom?!

  

This article was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog where Nick is a contributing writer as well as the Disney Musings Blog, which Nick co-writes with his wife, Barbie.

Please LIKE Disney Musings on Facebook.