An AP Virgin Eats the World - 10/21-10/31 with PICS! ***Completed on 1/31*** [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

Quacktatty

10-12-2009, 09:56 PM

I promised myself I'd never do this, but yet here I am - a pre-dining review!

I leave in 9 short days for a much anticipated 11 day trip to the World. I'm a first time AP holder (or I will be once I get there) and I'll also be getting Tables in Wonderland.

It's a mostly solo trip although I'll be meeting up with a DIS friend for a meal and some Food and Wine demonstrations.

You can expect to see reviews and lots of pictures from the following places:

Whispering Canyon Cafe
Sci-Fi
'Ohana
Boma
Jiko x 2
Le Cellier

Lots of counter service and snacks

And some F&W demos:
Chopin Vodka
Robert Irvine
Claire Clark
Jean-Pierre Wybauw
Andrew Zimmern x 2

I also have two days at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure that I'll include.

I did a dining review last year which you can read here:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2063694

You may even see some LIVE! posting if I find time and I have the patience to post on my iPhone.

***Update***

I'm back and ready to share all my food reviews with everyone - you will see the reviews from the following places:
Earl of Sandwich - Page 1
Magic Kingdom Snacks - Page 2
Captain Cooks - Page 2
Everything Pop - Page 3
Whispering Canyon Cafe - Page 3
F&W Booths - Page 3
Everything Pop - Page 3
Everything Pop - Page 3
Sci-Fi - Page 3
Chopin Vodka Tasting - Page 3
Disney Hollywood Studios Snack - Page 3
Everything Pop - Page 3
Everything Pop - Page 4
Flame Tree BBQ - Page 4
Animal Kingdom Snacks - Page 4
Claire Clark (The French Laundry) Demo - Page 4
'Ohana - Page 5
Boma - Page 5
Robert Irvine (Dinner: Impossible) Demo - Page 5
T-Rex - Page 6
The Mara - Page 6
Blondie's (@ Islands of Adventure) - Page 6
F&W Booths Part 2 - Page 7
The Mara - Page 7
Midway Grill (@ Universal Studios) - Page 7
Snacks @ Universal Studios - Page 7
Mara - Page 7
Jiko - Page 7
AKL In-Room Dining - Page 8
Pizzafari - Page 8
Animal Kingdom Snack - Page 8
Victoria Falls - Page 8
Jiko - Page 8
Sunshine Seasons - Page 9
LeCellier - Page 9
Mara - Page 9
Main St. Bakery - Page 9
Casey's Corner - Page 9
Andrew Zimmern #1 - Page 9
F&W Booths Part 3 - Page 10
F&W Booths Part 4 - Page 10
Andrew Zimmern #2 - Page 10
World Showcase Snacking - Page 11

Enjoy!

BriarRosie

10-12-2009, 11:28 PM

I'll try to keep everything tidy for you when I leave. :laughing:

natalielongstaff

10-13-2009, 09:00 AM

have a great time :thumbsup2

MickeyNicki

10-13-2009, 09:11 AM

I'm in! Hope you have a great time, great weather and great eats! (and drinks :laughing:)

oybolshoi

10-13-2009, 10:28 AM

Have a quacktacular time and if you see us staggering around please say hello! :goodvibes

TheMaxRebo

10-13-2009, 12:53 PM

Have a great time!

Out trips actually overlap and we are also going to the Robert Irving and Andrew Zimmern (Oct 30th one) seminars ... little nervous about what Andrew is going to prepare so close to Halloween given what he normally eats on his show :rotfl:

Quacktatty

10-13-2009, 06:16 PM

I'll try to keep everything tidy for you when I leave. :laughing:
Much appreciated! Have a great time!

have a great time :thumbsup2
Thanks!

I'm in! Hope you have a great time, great weather and great eats! (and drinks :laughing:)
The weather is shaping up to be pretty good if the extended forecast is true!

Have a quacktacular time and if you see us staggering around please say hello! :goodvibes
I sure will. Actually - I think we might be at the same Chopin Vodka tasting on the 23rd...I'll say hello!

Have a great time!
Thanks!

Out trips actually overlap and we are also going to the Robert Irving and Andrew Zimmern (Oct 30th one) seminars ... little nervous about what Andrew is going to prepare so close to Halloween given what he normally eats on his show :rotfl:
I am nervous about him too! I can't believe I'm doing it twice actually. I'm kind of a picky eater, although I'll try anything once. He's pretty cool though, I'd gladly pay $8 just to watch him cook and speak even if I didn't get a sample and a glass of wine to go with it.

oybolshoi

10-13-2009, 06:26 PM

Chopin Seminar October 23rd? Excellent! :thumbsup2

Quacktatty

10-14-2009, 06:08 PM

Chopin Seminar October 23rd? Excellent! :thumbsup2

Woohoo Vodka! See you there :thumbsup2

MickeyNicki

11-03-2009, 10:15 AM

Welcome back! Cannot wait to hear all about it!

Quacktatty

11-03-2009, 07:32 PM

Let's get this party started!

After getting my luggage and rental car, my first stop was Downtown Disney. I was on a mission, a mission for Earl of Sandwich. I had been fondly remembering Earl's Best BLT for the last 13 months or so and it I knew it had to be my first meal in the World.

I had a detour to make though - Guest Relations. I needed to exchange my AP Voucher and get my Tables in Wonderland card. For $75 the TiW card is actually a pretty cool thing. If you are traveling with 2 or more people the card would certainly pay for itself in one trip. With a 20% discount for Food AND Alcohol you need only spend $375 at Table Service and some counter service restaurants to get your monies worth. I didn't quite make it on this trip, but the next one will put me over the edge. I'll be reporting my savings as this report goes along.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/b2599d91.jpg

Even though I arrived at lunch time, there wasn't too long of a line at EOS. I knew exactly what I wanted, the Best BLT, macaroni salad and a coke. I got my buzzer and grabbed my drink, but had to wait a little bit for the food to actually come. Someone in line in front of me had ordered at least 12 sandwiches and about 8 bowls of soup so the expediter was busy with that order. Eventually my sandwich was ready - I knew it was mine, but for some reason my buzzer never went off. I went up to the counter and just told the guy my number and he gave me my BLT.

I went to sit outside since it was a beautiful days (and one of the few days on my trip where it wasn't too hot to be eating outdoors).

Sadly, the BLT was NOT as good as I remembered it being. It was still delicious, don't get me wrong, but I must have had an exceptionally good one last September because this time it wasn't quite as mouth watering. The macaroni salad however was great and as good as I remembered it being. I think my favorite part of the Earl's sandwiches is the bread, it's really soft and warm and truly makes the sandwich.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/45aea5bc.jpg

adsrtw

11-03-2009, 07:45 PM

Very exciting! Can't wait to hear more!

Smiling Cheshire Cat

11-03-2009, 07:53 PM

That BLT looks really good. Thanks for the reviews.

Lynn5700

11-03-2009, 09:20 PM

Hi! I'm in. Earl of Sandwich is awesome!!

Looking forward to more.

KatMark

11-03-2009, 09:22 PM

Great start; I'm here for the rest. We've never done EOS and will have to be sure to give it a try. popcorn::

cclovesdis

11-04-2009, 07:46 PM

Subbing! I love food porn.

Quacktatty

11-05-2009, 06:22 PM

Very exciting! Can't wait to hear more!

That BLT looks really good. Thanks for the reviews.

Hi! I'm in. Earl of Sandwich is awesome!!

Looking forward to more.

Great start; I'm here for the rest. We've never done EOS and will have to be sure to give it a try. popcorn::

Subbing! I love food porn.

:welcome: Thanks for reading!

Quacktatty

11-05-2009, 06:29 PM

After eating lunch and checking in at Pop Century I made my way to the Magic Kingdom. My first stop was Tomorrowland where I did some attractions and then grabbed a Cream Cheese Pretzel from The Lunching Pad to eat while I walked the secret path from Tomorrowland to Toontown.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/6e51c854.jpg

The pretzel was warm and soft and the cream cheese was gooey and delicious. This is my traditional first MK snack of the vacation.

After some more attractions I found myself in Adventureland. Everyone knows there is only one snack worth having in Adventureland - The Dole Whip Float! I once again proved that it takes exactly as long to eat a Dole Whip Float as it does to walk through the Swiss Family Treehouse. This picture is from last year, but the one I got this year looked exactly the same :thumbsup2

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/9bbba2fa.jpg

I realized about halfway through eating it that I had forgotten to snap a photo, it was too good to wait for!

sherry8253

11-05-2009, 08:59 PM

Jumping on board!

LMO429

11-05-2009, 09:33 PM

subscribing love the cream cheese pretzels..they use to serve jalapeno and cream creese in tomorrow land now they only sell cream cheese...the jalapeno ones I can find in animal kingdom

NuttyDisneyMom

11-05-2009, 09:48 PM

I'm in...this one looks good!;)

GusT

11-06-2009, 05:07 AM

I'm in! I think I need to have one of those pretzels this year! I wanna try the nacho cheese one too though....decisions decisions!!

pixiedust1125

11-06-2009, 08:57 AM

Loving your reviews and omg does that cream cheese pretzel look amazing, ive never had one before and I just think I might have to when I go in December

If U Had Wings

11-06-2009, 01:57 PM

The bread on that BLT is looking yummy! I can't wait to hear more.

Quacktatty

11-07-2009, 10:07 AM

Jumping on board!
:welcome:

subscribing love the cream cheese pretzels..they use to serve jalapeno and cream creese in tomorrow land now they only sell cream cheese...the jalapeno ones I can find in animal kingdom
I'm a cream cheese fan only. I'm a wuss when it comes to spices and stuff so jalapeno is too daring for me!

I'm in...this one looks good!;)
:welcome:

I'm in! I think I need to have one of those pretzels this year! I wanna try the nacho cheese one too though....decisions decisions!!
They are great...you should try both! I think there is an apple cinnamon one at DHS too.

Loving your reviews and omg does that cream cheese pretzel look amazing, ive never had one before and I just think I might have to when I go in December
You must! They are delicious, especially when they are hot!

The bread on that BLT is looking yummy! I can't wait to hear more.
It's really the best part, maybe I should ask if I can just get bread next time?

Quacktatty

11-07-2009, 04:23 PM

For dinner on my first night I decided to venture to the Polynesian. I took a pleasant boat ride from MK stopping first at the Grand Floridian and then the Poly. Captain Cooks is off kind of in a corner, you'd almost have to know it was there (or look for the signs!) I find it interesting how less prominent the food courts become as you go from a Value resort to a Deluxe resort.

There was nobody in line so I went right to one of the ordering kiosks. I made my selections and then paid. They give you a buzzer and it goes off when your food is ready. I found a table inside because it was kind of chilly to be sitting outdoors. I was glad I did because not too much time later it started to pour! People were running in for cover.

I got the Aloha Pork Sandwich with Poly Chips

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/761e1f96.jpg

The sandwich was quite good - better than I was anticipating actually. There is an Asian slaw on the sandwich with pineapple and tomatoes and I think maybe cucumber? The bread was soft which is always a plus. None of the flavors were overpowering and it was a nice combination all together. The chips were those sweet potato chips with other tuber type things (maybe Yuca and Taro?). They tasted like Kettle chips - not very crispy but still good.

Smiling Cheshire Cat

11-07-2009, 04:29 PM

Those MK snacks you chose look just like what I would want.:thumbsup2

mom2fivecs

11-07-2009, 09:08 PM

looking forward to more!!

Flossbolna

11-08-2009, 03:17 PM

Great start to your reviews, I will be looking forward to more! :thumbsup2

Quacktatty

11-09-2009, 08:46 PM

Those MK snacks you chose look just like what I would want.:thumbsup2
I have a hard time resisting them each trip!

looking forward to more!!

Great start to your reviews, I will be looking forward to more! :thumbsup2

:welcome:

Quacktatty

11-09-2009, 09:15 PM

After waking up and getting ready for the day, I walked over to Everything Pop. It was pretty empty and I had no wait at the waffle line.

I got a Pop Waffle with Bacon. The bacon was cold and lifeless, I think I finished it but only after a thorough dipping in syrup. The waffle on the other hand was warm and crisp. I love crisp waffles and find that they can be hard to come by. We have a waffle station at work on Tuesday and Thursday but the waffles are always mushy and taste like batter. This one was very good and I was glad I made a good choice.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220117.jpg

I also filled my refillable mug with coffee which I proceeded to spill on myself. Thanks to Shout Wipes I didn't have to change my clothes before leaving for the parks!

I saved $1.14 with Tables in Wonderland on this meal.

My day was spent doing the Backstage Magic tour so lunch was at Whispering Canyon Cafe. I didn't get any pictures since lunch was served family style to our tour group and people dug in as soon as the food hit the table.

We had Pork Ribs, Pork Sausage and Chicken which was also served with corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and cornbread.

The cornbread was good although it was kind of on the dry side. I slathered it in butter and all was right with the world. The coleslaw had almost no dressing and you could see celery salt everywhere. I like my coleslaw to have taken a big bath in mayo before it hits my table. The mashed potatoes were good, but nothing special.

The meats were another story altogether - I didn't enjoy them much at all. The ribs were dry and fatty and I didn't find the spare side of BBQ sauce until after I was full. The sausage was not to my liking. I'm glad I only took one small piece. It was too crispy on the outside and too mushy on the inside so it snapped when you bit into it...too weird for my texture issue self. The chicken I did not try due to an issue I have with eating chicken. I don't have a full fledged allergy diagnosis, but it makes me feel weird enough that I avoid eating it in most situations.

For dessert we had a fruit cobbler with ice cream. That was by far the best part of the meal. There was peaches, maybe berries or cherries or something baked in a pastry with vanilla ice cream. I think everybody at the table enjoyed it.

The biggest reason to go to WCC is the waitstaff and they did not disappoint. MT was our main waitress and she was LOUD and obnoxious and pretty funny. She did a really good job though. If I had eaten there on my own rather than as part of the tour group she would have received a good tip.

I don't think I'll rule out going back to WCC but I won't be getting the skillet.

Oh, and if you are counting - this day makes 4 meals in a row that included Pork and there is more to come!

norybell

11-10-2009, 12:20 AM

Enjoying your reviews! :thumbsup2

MickeyNicki

11-10-2009, 08:51 AM

I totally agree with you on the WCC thing...we ate lunch there in Aug and it was horrible....the meats were so fatty and greasy and just plain unedible. The corn bread was the saving grace of the meal, it was moist and wonderful and we ate our weight in it...we will not be going back to WCC anymore

Quacktatty

11-10-2009, 07:46 PM

Enjoying your reviews! :thumbsup2
Thanks!

I totally agree with you on the WCC thing...we ate lunch there in Aug and it was horrible....the meats were so fatty and greasy and just plain unedible. The corn bread was the saving grace of the meal, it was moist and wonderful and we ate our weight in it...we will not be going back to WCC anymore
I'm glad it wasn't just me! I'm a huge BBQ fan so it was a big disappointment.

pinkxray

11-10-2009, 08:22 PM

great reviews so far
I am adding the cream cheese pretzels to my list of things to try right along with the dole whip. YUM!!

Quacktatty

11-10-2009, 08:24 PM

I had big plans for dinner - being that it was my first night at Epcot, I had only one logical choice - F&W Booths! I first got one of those nifty wrist band gift cards from the Welcome Center. They really make it easy for you to spend money. The only thing I disliked about the cards is that the wrist band itself is sooo small. I have tiny wrists, like abnormally tiny, and the wrist band left marks each time I wore it. I can't imagine even a normal sized man wearing one without pain.

Since I was coming from the Welcome Center I started my dining foray on the Mexico side.

My first snack came from Mexico City, Mexico - Taco de Conchinita Pibil or Corn Tortilla Filled with Shredded Pork and Purple Onions.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220182.jpg

It was a little on the spicy side and I am super spice sensitive (I find mild salsa hot :rotfl:). The onions were a nice touch though.

Next up came Krakow, Poland - Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220183.jpg

There was both good and bad with this snack. The kielbasa was cold and kind of mushy on the inside. The pierogie on the other hand was warm and cooked perfectly. I like the combination of the onions and the sour cream. I don't usually eat my pierogies with sour cream, but I might have to change that going forward.

I think it was at this point that I realized that I needed something to drink. I am not a wine drinker and there were no alcoholic beverages calling my name that night so I got a Sprite before moving on.

Next was Cape Town, South Africa - Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Puree and Mango Barbecue Sauce

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220184.jpg

This was disappointing. The tenderloin was overcooked, but it was edible. I understand that Disney has to cook the beef more than I would like because they have a wider audience to please, but it would be nice if you could be given an option of a rarer piece of meat. The sweet potato puree was funky. I'm guessing there was banana mixed in with the sweet potatoes because there was no way I was eating just sweet potato. I make sweet potatoes at home all the time and they taste nothing like what I was eating. The Mango BBQ sauce was the standout. It was tangy and didn't have an overpowering Mango taste. If you covered everything in the sauce it all ended up to be somewhat edible.

The Hops and Barley market always had the longest line of any food booth when I was in Epcot and I quickly realized why - Boston Style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Remoulade.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220186.jpg

The crab cake itself was full of crab and not a ton of filler. The slaw on it's own was very acidic, but when you took a bite of all three components they paired really well. This ended up being my favorite F&W sample that I tried the whole trip.

Last and least was Paris, France - Chocolate Milk Creme Brulee.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220188.jpg

Sigh...I did not enjoy this. It wasn't a bad taste, but I guess I have never had creme brulee before. Sometimes at home I will mix cool whip and chocolate pudding together for a dessert. That's what this tasted like. The sugar crust on top was entirely unnecessary and more than anything served as a distraction from the bland taste and texture of the custard underneath. Boo to creme brulee, I won't be going back for more!

norybell

11-10-2009, 11:57 PM

If U Had Wings

11-11-2009, 09:22 AM

That's too bad about WCC. I've looked at the menu a few times, but nothing has ever really jumped out at me. I'm not in any rush to get over there to eat.

klacey1

11-11-2009, 02:01 PM

Loving these! Can't wait to read the rest!

KatMark

11-11-2009, 02:21 PM

Quacktatty

11-11-2009, 10:10 PM

I had this exact same problem...and I have ridiculously small wrists, too! I spent the whole time thinking I'd stupidly not noticed they offered different sizes, and had gotten the child's size small, or something. :confused3
I'm glad it wasn't just me!

That's too bad about WCC. I've looked at the menu a few times, but nothing has ever really jumped out at me. I'm not in any rush to get over there to eat.
Yeah, I wouldn't make it a top pick anytime in the near future if I were you.

Loving these! Can't wait to read the rest!
Thanks!

Have to agree on WCC. I thought it was awful (as was the service) and my DH got sick on the ribs/chicken (and we know it was that as I was so disgusted with all of the other food, that I never touched the ribs/chicken).
We had great service - probably helped that we didn't have any menu options except for drinks and even those were limited and we were there on a tour - but the rest was not impressive.

Quacktatty

11-11-2009, 10:17 PM

The creme brulee didn't satisfy my sweet tooth and so late that night I moseyed over to Everything Pop for some ice cream. My downfall was definitely the long wait I had in line. I saw what everyone else was ordering and kept changing my mind over and over again. I ended up getting a Brownie Sundae with Butter Pecan, Mint Chocolate Chip and Cookies and Cream ice creams. I had them add whip cream and sprinkles because, well, why not?

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910220202.jpg

It was delicious...much better than creme brulee :rotfl2:

Quacktatty

11-13-2009, 09:07 PM

Today's breakfast was pretty boring, but it did the job of filling me up until lunch and really, that's all that matters, right?

I got a bagel and cream cheese and a side of breakfast potatoes.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230203.jpg

The bagel was almost a tragic experience when it got caught in the toaster! We have the same type of toasters at work, the conveyor belt kind, and there is a bagel massacre almost every day. They get stuck in the back of the toaster, right at the point where the bagel is supposed to fall out and then burn to a crisp. On this morning, my bagel got stuck...but thankfully it did NOT burn. A nice CM came to my rescue and saved my bagel from certain death.

The potatoes were potatoes. I like that they are the little square kind rather than the actual potato kind that they serve at some other resorts. for some reason I like my potatoes a little on the fake side. Although, once you drown them in ketchup and syrup like I do it's all the same.

Quacktatty

11-13-2009, 09:30 PM

I hadn't eaten since breakfast so when my ADR time for Sci-Fi rolled around at 1:40 I was starving. I checked in a little bit early but I ended up being seated right around my ADR time anyway. They were turning away a LOT of walk-ups telling them they could try coming back later or show up really early for dinner. I wondered how many of those people were on the dining plan and had no clue they had to make reservations.

I was seated right near the door in the back of a car. When I got in the car I was the only one in it. Not too much later a family of four was seated in front of me. I didn't have the experience that many report of being introduced as the hitch hiker. In fact, my waiter did a pretty mediocre job in general.

It may have been my mistake, but since this was my first meal using Tables in Wonderland I wasn't sure about the rules. I told him up front that I'd be using the card. I'm not sure if that changed his attitude, I don't think it did, but it certainly didn't help. He did seem relieved that I wasn't on the dining plan though.

I ordered two drinks - a sprite and a Marcia's Martian Milkshake. The Marcia's Martian is chocolate and vanilla milkshake mixed with Bailey's and Kahlua. The milkshake came with a glow cube but I put it in my sprite instead. Now my cat plays with it.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230275.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230276.jpg

For an appetizer I ordered the Onion Rings followed by the Reuben for my entree. The onion rings came so quickly I couldn't believe it. I don't know how the guy even had time to put my order in. It was clear that they sell enough of these to keep them in the fryer at all times. They were hot and cripsy though, didn't taste at all like they were sitting around under a heat lamp.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230277.jpg

I had about 2 minutes alone with my onion rings when my Reuben was brought out - not cool. I would have liked to have had time to enjoy the onion rings. Not only that, but the little tables you sit at are small. I was back there alone and had trouble organizing everything on my spot not to mention the fact that it was so dark in there that I couldn't see what I was eating.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230278.jpg

There was too much sauerkraut on the sandwich and not enough Thousand Island dressing for my liking. I ate what I could but didn't finish it and barely touched the fries - after all, I still had a plate full of onion rings.

My waiter came by to push dessert at me, but since I already had a milkshake I decided to pass. He gave me the check where I got my first taste of the TiW included tip. He didn't mention that the tip was included, which I didn't mind because as the cardholder it is my responsibility to know that, but they put the slip on the top that you are supposed to sign and it just shows the total and then a line for the tip. If you aren't familiar with the way TiW works, you wouldn't know that you didn't have to tip extra unless you wanted to. This guy definitely did not receive an extra tip.

Unfortunately, I left Sci-Fi pretty disappointed and I doubt that I will return.

Quacktatty

11-14-2009, 08:53 PM

Who doesn't love vodka? I lurrrrv it, so this was a natural choice for me when selecting my F&W events. I actually met up with a fellow DISer - Connie - for this event. She had booked a bunch of events for her and her friend and when her friend could no longer join her on the trip, I graciously stepped in to help her use that extra ticket on two of the events :thumbsup2

We got in line for the event a few minutes early although there wasn't much of a line to speak of. They had long tables set up for everyone and unlike the culinary demos they were directing people to seats.

I can't remember if Pam Smith did the introductions, I'm pretty sure she did, but nevertheless, Trish Linden was the presenter. She was from the Chopin Vodka company. Chopin is a super premium potato based vodka - and it is delicious.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230282.jpg

The vodka samples were on the tables and waiting for us when we were seated, but I resisted the urge and waited until Trish told us to take a sip. She gave some background on Chopin and then on vodka in general. There was some interesting information that I did not know before hand.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230281.jpg

The first sample was a Rye Vodka, then the Chopin and finally a Strawberry Balsamic Martini.

We were first asked to take a sip of the rye vodka to see what we could taste. She suggested there would be hints of white pepper and vanilla. I could taste the white pepper, but not so much the vanilla. I figure this had to be a store brand vodka as it was pretty harsh.

Then we took a sip of the Chopin Vodka. WOW! It didn't smell harsh like a cheap vodka does and it was very creamy and didn't burn your lips. Instead, there was a very slight burn that lingered in the back of my throat. It was definitely a sipping vodka if that's what you like. You could taste things like Green Apple which Trish said comes from the soil.

Finally, we had the martini.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230190.jpg

It was really really good. I am a fan of sweet drinks and this was right up my alley. It wasn't too sweet though. The balsamic really cut the sweetness without masking the strawberry flavor. You could distinctly taste the two flavors but they blended together very well. I plan to make this at home. Trish was kind enough to give us the recipe.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230283.jpg

For my first F&W event, this was a winner. I will definitely make a point to try and go to some of the other spirit seminars in coming years. I'm not a wine drinker so it's nice that they have alternatives for us liquorholics.

oybolshoi

11-14-2009, 08:59 PM

If U Had Wings

11-15-2009, 07:28 PM

I'm so glad thatI was able to change my Sci-Fi ADR to a Brown Derby ADR. It doesn't sound like a great meal at all.

Quacktatty

11-15-2009, 07:49 PM

I'm glad you liked the vodka seminar - we enjoyed ours, too. That strawberry balsamic martini was terrific!

We were supposed to go on the 23rd to the same one you did but ended up switching it to the day before because we knew we were going to run out of time to pack to leave otherwise - we had to leave obscenely early Saturday morning to catch our flight home. We also missed a mini-DISmeet because of that. In the long run it was probbaly for the best ... I've been sick off and on since coming home on the 24th and would have felt twice as bad if I'd passed it along to a fellow DISer.
No worries - I'm glad you still got a chance to do the seminar. I wonder if I caught the same cold you did anyway...I too have been sick on and off since about the 26th - mostly on, it's getting really old. I was finally starting to feel better last Monday and by Friday I was feeling awful again.

I'm so glad thatI was able to change my Sci-Fi ADR to a Brown Derby ADR. It doesn't sound like a great meal at all.
Yeah, I won't be back!

Quacktatty

11-15-2009, 07:56 PM

Before leaving DHS for the day I decided that I needed a drink. I had drank so much Sprite already on this trip that I needed something else. On my way out of the park I passed a bunch of people with some frozen goodness and I decided that I needed one. Turns out it was the Frozen Lemonade from Anaheim Produce.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230288.jpg

It hit the spot and quenched my thirst despite the fact that it was especially tart.

An amusing anecdote while I was waiting in line - the two guys in front of me were Australian I think, could have been British and they ordered a soft pretzel. They had no idea what it was, even asked the lady what it was made of. I didn't stick around to see if they would like it, but I didn't realize pretzels weren't a common food around the world or at least in English speaking countries.

Quacktatty

11-15-2009, 08:41 PM

I had seriously considered skipping dinner on this night, but at about 9:00 I decided I was too hungry to wait until morning. I thought briefly about ordering pizza but didn't think I would be that hungry so I hoofed it to Everything Pop assuming it would be pretty empty in there.

Surprise, surprise, the place was packed!

I went to the pizza/pasta line where it seemed like everybody else was too. I ordered the Chicken Penne Alfredo. I didn't get my food right away because I had to wait for a breadstick. The lady helping me was nice though and served me first once the breadsticks were ready. It was nice to not get a cold plate of food.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910230292.jpg

What can I say about this? I shouldn't have ordered it. The chicken was way too thick. From the pictures it looked like a thin breaded cutlet but it ended up being a rather thick breast. The pasta was okay, but there was barely enough sauce. That would have been okay with me if it was marinara, but since it was alfredo I wanted my pasta to be drowning in sauce! The breadstick was pretty good although it was kind of flavorless. Maybe if I had some extra alfredo to dip it in it would have been okay...

I also got the tie dye cheesecake. Not because I wanted it or needed it, but because I felt obligated to. I knew this would be my last chance to have it and it was a Pop right of passage. It was pretty good - I am a big fan of red velvet cake. It was more than I wanted or needed though.

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I should have listened to my instincts instead of my stomach and skipped dinner that night. I spent most of the night and into the morning feeling pretty awful.

Quacktatty

11-17-2009, 08:41 PM

Still feeling rather ill from the Chicken Penne Alfredo the night before I elected to have a boring old blueberry muffin for breakfast. It was not too bad, but it was really just a regular muffin.

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Quacktatty

11-17-2009, 08:55 PM

By about 11:00 I was feeling much better so I elected to have an early lunch at my favorite place - Flame Tree BBQ.

I was disappointed to see that the Beef Sandwich was taken off the menu, that was my favorite. I had to settle for a Pork Sandwich although it wasn't too far to settle. It took a while to get through the line, soooo many people on the dining plan! A family behind me had a girl, maybe 7 or 8 who wasn't happy with the kids choices. And her mother wasn't too happy with the fact that she wasn't happy. She basically told the kid that she could pick between a hot dog and a drumstick and if she didn't like it, she didn't eat. Hopefully the girl chose wisely and actually got to have a lunch!

Even though it took a while to get through the ordering line, my food came rather quickly. I got a Pork Sandwich and substituted coleslaw for beans. I love the flavor and smell of the beans, but I can't get past the texture so coleslaw it is!

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I went to BBQ sauce up my sandwich and get some napkins and utensils when I noticed they had moved the sauce station! I asked a CM where it was and she pointed me to the closest one rather than informing me that they were now located at all the seating areas. I was happy to see this change. The sauce/utensil station got really crowded and it was difficult to manage a tray full of food and drinks while trying to be quick and getting all your stuff. The other change I noticed was that they got rid of the other BBQ sauce - there used to be a spicy one and a regular and now there is only regular.

I made it to my favorite location - the one down by the water with a perfect view of Everest.

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The sandwich was good, not too different from every other time I have had it. The coleslaw was better than the coleslaw I had at Whispering Canyon, much mayoier (yes, I said mayoier).

I also had a lunch buddy, but don't worry, I didn't feed him. He did watch me eat the entire time I was there though. I guess I looked messy!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/da7207c3.jpg

KatMark

11-17-2009, 09:00 PM

If U Had Wings

11-17-2009, 11:05 PM

I love Flame Tree, but I usually just get the fruit plate. Yours looks delicious!

norybell

11-17-2009, 11:12 PM

I think "mayoier" should be a word in everyone's vocabulary! :thumbsup2

klacey1

11-18-2009, 06:28 PM

That chicken alfredo LOOKS good, sorry it wasn't great!

Quacktatty

11-18-2009, 09:57 PM

Ooooh....that sandwich looks so good. That is what I had last time we were there and I absolutely love the sandwich. I like the beans...but I can understand not being able to "get past the pasty"...they are kind of pasty and I don't like that part of them...but they are tasty.
I tried them once, I'm glad I did, but I'm such a texture person I couldn't do it again.

I love Flame Tree, but I usually just get the fruit plate. Yours looks delicious!
The fruit plate, huh? Too healthy for me!

I think "mayoier" should be a word in everyone's vocabulary! :thumbsup2
Agreed! I'll submit it to Webster.

That chicken alfredo LOOKS good, sorry it wasn't great!
Looks can be deceiving :rotfl:

Quacktatty

11-18-2009, 10:03 PM

On a walk from Africa to Asia I kept seeing people with my favorite form of ice cream, soft serve! I had to get some and I knew just the place - that crazy blue truck in Asia. I got a twist cone and it hit the spot.

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Quacktatty

11-18-2009, 10:27 PM

I went into this demo blind. I'm sure I'll shock all of you, but I'm not foodie. I had no idea who Claire Clark was, I had no idea what the French Laundry was, I just knew I liked dessert and so a pastry chef would be right up my alley.

I got to Epcot with not a ton of time to spare and got in line kind of close to the front. Turns out that I needed to get a ticket, so I got out of line and then got back in without losing my spot. We were let in to the demo area about 5 minutes or so before it started.

I got lucky and was able to get a front and center table. Being a solo really pays off in that respect. The tables are set for 6 so there are often 1 or 2 seats left vacant at the front tables. The people at my table were really nice. The two ladies at the front spots were super friendly and while I didn't know it then, they'd come to be a big help the next day. There was also a couple at my table who knew all about the French Laundry and told me all about it.

Apparently it's this super famous restaurant in California. The reservations are almost impossible to get and book up faster than Le Cellier at 180 days. Their son lived in California and had been trying for years to get in without success. I guess I got lucky that I was able to get a spot at the demo since I doubt I'll never be dining at The French Laundry.

Pam Smith welcomed us to the demo and talked a little bit about the wine we'd be having. I can't remember why, but the wine guy was not there - he might have been doing a bottle signing or something, but I can't remember what the real excuse was. The wine was an Ice Wine from Chateau des Charmes. I'm not a wine drinker, but this was nice. Very sweet which is right up my alley.

Then Pam introduced Claire Clark. She is this tiny little blond woman, not at all what I was expecting from an English Pastry Chef. Maybe I've been watching too many Cake Challenges on the Food Network.

Claire did a lot of the cooking herself which was cool. She also told a bunch of stories from her career. She seemed very comfortable in front of the crowd which must be hard to do.

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Claire made 3 things - Lemon Posset, Shortbread and Fudge.

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The Lemon Posset was amazing! It's about the simplest thing you can make - just three ingredients - lemons, sugar and cream and you don't even have to bake it or anything. It was light and really wonderful. She used Meyer Lemons which brought out the flavor quite a bit. They put it in these little glasses and gave us regular plastic spoons to eat it with. We soon discovered that it just wouldn't work. The glass was too small and the spoon was too big. Without prompting from anybody, nearly everyone turned their spoon around and started eating with the handle, it was that good! It was topped with a sugared rose petal. I did eat the rose petal even though Claire warned us that it hadn't been given time to properly set. It was still kind of moist from the egg wash it was dipped in. I'm not sure it was worth the time to eat, but it was interesting to taste nonetheless.

The shortbread was really light but not crumbly at all. Not what I would think of as shortbread, but still very delicious.

The fudge was very rich and very dense. She made two kinds, I think one had pistachios and the other was just chocolate? I can't even remember, but it was tasty. I wish we had gotten more than the two very small pieces that were served.

All in all I think I made a good choice with this demo. Turns out it would be my least favorite demo, but only because poor Claire Clark had a lot of competition. She was popular among the F&W attendees. I heard that her book sold out and her book signing line was pretty long.

oybolshoi

11-18-2009, 10:44 PM

Quacktatty

11-19-2009, 09:10 PM

That deminar looked amazing! I don't know who the chef is but have definitely heard of French Laundry ... would love love love to dine there some day and if we'd still been at WDW I would have booked this in a heartbeat for us. And if this ended up being your least favorite I can't wait to see what beats it out!
The French Laundry sounds really cool. She was telling us that they grow as much of their food as possible, only use what is in season and have a 12 course menu (I think) and not one ingredient can be repeated through the whole menu!

My favorite will be coming up soon!

Quacktatty

11-19-2009, 09:51 PM

'Ohana got added to my list of meals because I love the IDEA of a buffet, but not so much the practice of them. Eating food out of the same bowls as other people kind of skeeves me out. I was just told that I have to attend a buffet dinner for work in December and my first reaction was, "I don't like buffets with strangers let alone people who I know don't wash their hands in the bathroom!" So yeah, buffets are not at the top of my list - of course, you can all call me a hypocrite when I do my Boma review :rotfl2:

I arrived at the Poly after a short drive from my resort and valeted the car. Turns out it was a good thing that I was planning to valet because the security guard told me that the parking lots were full that night. The free valet when you use Tables In Wonderland is a great perk. Saves $14 or a long walk from self-parking!

I checked in and the place was pretty packed. I was given a pager and started to walk around the Poly. I stopped in the gift shop for a minute and didn't even have time to make a complete circle around the 2nd floor before I was buzzed back. Apparently I didn't walk fast enough as somebody was dispatched to the bar area to call my name. Really though, I couldn't have taken more than 60 seconds to walk back to the check-in desk.

A guy who was clearly frazzled because their computers had been acting wonky all night showed me to my table. He gave me basket of Welcome Bread and said that my waitress, Melly, would be over soon.

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Before Melly even acknowledged that I existed, a guy brought out the salad and my sauces.

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My server finally arrived and took my drink order. Although I was tempted to get a Lapu Lapu I figured I better stick with soda since I was driving. I have to at least pretend to be responsible.

After getting my drink, I dug into the bread and the salad. The bread was good, kind of like a soft warm bread sprayed with pina colada mist. The pineapple/coconut taste wasn't strong, which was much appreciated.

The salad was DELICIOUS. The dressing is a honey-lime deal and it is very light and sweet. Not too sweet though and at the same time the lime flavor does not over power it. I could have eaten the whole bowl!

Next came the rest of the appetizer type foods:

Pork Dumplings

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Honey Coriander Wings

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Lo Mein Noodles

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The dumplings were good, but I think weren't really that necessary. They served more as a filler than anything else for me. I had one or two, but didn't go back for more later.

The wings were okay, better than the sticky wings at Kona. They were cooked well but I only ate a few because of my chicken aversion.

The lo mein noodles were my absolute favorite part of the whole meal. I could have and almost did eat the entire bowl. They are sweet and not overly saucey...just amazing. I will go back to 'Ohana just to have another chance at those noodles.

At this point I should mention that my server was mostly absent. She had other tables, but there was no reason for her to be as neglectful as she was to me. The other servers around me were wonderful, having fun with their tables and actually bringing the food and such. I think your server is supposed to bring over the meats, but mine only came by once. I was mostly given meats by the other servers.

Speaking of the meats - what a huge disappointment. They are supposed to be the star of the meal and that was not the case whatsoever. I was given Pork and Turkey first. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two. It was so dark in there that I couldn't tell by sight and there was absolutely no way to tell by taste. Once dipped in the sauces, they might as well have come from the same animal.

Next came steak. Boo. It was so overcooked that it was absolutely not edible. It was so bad that I considered canceling my Le Cellier ADR because I thought I couldn't risk overcooked steak again. I took one bite and pushed the rest of it away.

The shrimp came last and was the only shining light in the sea of horrible meats. I started with just two because shrimp is not something I always like to eat. I should have more because they were great, especially when dipped in the sweet and sour sauce. I just wish they were already peeled as they are quite hot when they get to your table and kind of difficult and messy to peel. When the server came back around with more steak and shrimp I passed on the steak and jumped at the shrimp.

All while eating there was quite a show going on with the entertainment lady. She sings, does limbo, acknowledges everybody's birthdays and whatnot. It was a good distraction since it is a really long meal. Amazingly enough, there were two women from different parties both celebrating their 93rd birthdays, how crazy is that??

After deciding I was too full to eat anymore food I had a nice surprise - Wishes was starting. I didn't have the best seat to see the show, but I did have a fairly good view. I was over against one of the windows over looking the longhouses so I had to lean over a little bit to see the fireworks. They don't look like they are going off over the castle when you are watching them from the Poly.

Dessert finally came and I was not impressed.

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I guess I don't really like bread pudding. The ice cream was good, as was the sauce. I didn't eat much of it though. I asked my server for my check and she handed over the wrong one. Of course, she was long gone by the time I noticed. It took another 10 minutes for her to bring back the right one and to take my Key to the World and Tables in Wonderland card to pay. Ugh...no extra tip for her!

Despite the bad meat and the bad server, I did enjoy my meal. There were enough good things to outweigh the not so good that I will be returning for another visit soon.

Nancy for Disney

11-19-2009, 10:29 PM

Nice review of O'hana. I so want to eat there some day. Couldn't get an adr on my up coming trip. :sad1: It is ok though as I think my kids would like it hear and I should save it for when they come with me. We are having a no kids trip. ;)

Stacybaeasm

11-20-2009, 12:42 PM

lindsey clare

11-21-2009, 07:04 PM

An amusing anecdote while I was waiting in line - the two guys in front of me were Australian I think, could have been British and they ordered a soft pretzel. They had no idea what it was, even asked the lady what it was made of. I didn't stick around to see if they would like it, but I didn't realize pretzels weren't a common food around the world or at least in English speaking countries.
haha that's funny! :lmao: i am guessing they weren't Australian, as we do have pretzels here. maybe they were from the outback or something... i don't think they would have pretzels out there :laughing:

Quacktatty

11-21-2009, 07:31 PM

Ok, I am finally caught up and in! I loved your reviews from your previous report and I can't wait to read more. We have many of the same tastes so I love to hear what you have to say so I can plan for my next trip. Keep 'em coming!
Thanks!

Nice review of O'hana. I so want to eat there some day. Couldn't get an adr on my up coming trip. :sad1: It is ok though as I think my kids would like it hear and I should save it for when they come with me. We are having a no kids trip. ;)
Have fun with your no kids trip!

haha that's funny! :lmao: i am guessing they weren't Australian, as we do have pretzels here. maybe they were from the outback or something... i don't think they would have pretzels out there :laughing:
I couldn't imagine someone not knowing what a soft pretzel was, but these guys were perplexed! Maybe they were Kiwis :rotfl2:

Quacktatty

11-21-2009, 08:34 PM

Okay, I know I said I don't like buffets, but I had to make an exception for Boma! I had checked out of Pop that morning and was checking into Animal Kingdom Lodge. I had planned a day out of the parks more or less and so I thought a leisurely breakfast was just the ticket.

I used my Tables in Wonderland card again to get free valet parking. I elected to not bring my bags in with me because I knew my room would not be ready and I was correct.

I was pretty early for my ADR - about 30 minutes - but I went ahead and checked-in anyway. I didn't wait too long though and was seated near the entrance of Boma, but not in the traffic flow.

My server Brahim came over and took my drink order - a pot of coffee and some frunch. Then he explained to me the buffet and recommended a few items. He urged me to try the more traditional African dishes which I promised him I would.

I made my way up to the buffet for my first plate and I was surprised by how little there actually way. I guess I was expecting some big smorgasbord but there were really only 6 or 7 pods of food. I decided to stick with African dishes my first time through:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/d0f0f319.jpg

Starting on the bottom right is the Goat Cheese Eggs. These were delicious, although after a few tastes the goat cheese did get a little overpowering.

Moving clockwise we have the Curried Sausage and Biscuit Skillet. This was just okay, I really liked the curry flavor but the biscuit was really dry.

Then is the Bobotie. Yuck - this had a horrible texture, it was really dry and not much flavor at all. I finished it though with the aid of my goat cheese eggs.

Last but not least some pastries - a chocolate croissant and some banana bread. Both were really good but the banana bread was the best of the two. Very soft and moist.

You can also see the Frunch and the coffee in the background. The Frunch was good, it tasted exactly like the V8 Splash Peach Mango juice. And the coffee was coffee. Drinkable.

My second plate I was a little less adventurous.

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At the bottom of the plate is Turkey breast with Boma Mustard. The turkey was tender and moist and mixed well with the mustard. They also offered Ham at the carving station, but I didn't want any.

Next is Pap - not much flavor, but certainly edible. I probably should have gotten a bowl and treated it like oatmeal, but I was already getting kind of full so I didn't want to get a lot and not end up eating it.

The Watermelon was really good. Very fresh and flavorful.

The bacon was typical Disney bacon and was not very edible. I don't remember Disney bacon being this bad in the past. Even though I read the reviews of people saying they didn't like it, I just figured they were picky bacon eaters. 90% of the time when I have bacon it is the precooked microwavable kind so I'm not picky at all when it comes to bacon. But Disney bacon is just plain bad.

I also got some more banana bread - yum.

I went up for one last plate which I didn't take a picture of because it was just more watermelon and banana bread. I briefly considered filling a napkin with banana bread for later, but I decided against it :rotfl:

I'm glad that I got to experience Boma, but I likely will not be back again and it will probably be my last buffet. I am just not a fan of them and this didn't do anything to really wow me or convince me that buffets aren't evil.

norybell

11-22-2009, 01:00 AM

I totally agree with you about buffets. And about the Disney bacon. I was shocked by how bad it actually was. Blech!

oybolshoi

11-22-2009, 01:09 AM

DRAT! They had goat cheese eggs at Boma? Either they didn't offer this the morning we were there or I totally missed it. :headache:

We liked Boma enough to take family there on our recent trip, but won't be going out of our way to eat there again unless we happen to be staying at the AKL. We're not typically big buffet people, either.

Nice review! :thumbsup2

klacey1

11-22-2009, 09:29 AM

So strange how people can have such different reactions to Ohana-- we HATED it! Glad you enjoyed it enough, though. Our service was also terrible.

emmabemmainc

11-22-2009, 11:17 AM

Great reviews! I'm sorry that there didn't seem to be much you ate that you really liked. :sad1:

Quacktatty

11-25-2009, 05:21 PM

I totally agree with you about buffets. And about the Disney bacon. I was shocked by how bad it actually was. Blech!
I don't remember it being that bad before!

DRAT! They had goat cheese eggs at Boma? Either they didn't offer this the morning we were there or I totally missed it. :headache:

We liked Boma enough to take family there on our recent trip, but won't be going out of our way to eat there again unless we happen to be staying at the AKL. We're not typically big buffet people, either.

Nice review! :thumbsup2
The eggs were divine. You'll have to try and get them again. Or make them at home, because it's really just eggs and goat cheese mixed together!

So strange how people can have such different reactions to Ohana-- we HATED it! Glad you enjoyed it enough, though. Our service was also terrible.
There definite disappointments, like most of the meats, but there was enough that I liked that outweighed the bad.

Great reviews! I'm sorry that there didn't seem to be much you ate that you really liked. :sad1:
Haha...I guess it does seem that way. I'm a pretty picky eater, so it's the norm for me!

Quacktatty

11-25-2009, 05:58 PM

Where to start with this amazing experience...I guess at the beginning :thumbsup2

This was another demo that I was able to experience thanks to my DIS friend Connie. I was so excited that I would get to see Robert Irvine IN PERSON! I had called Connie the night before to let her know that based on the lines that Claire Clark had, we best show up very early to get in line. We got there about 30 minutes early, turns out it should have been even earlier!

We were kind of far back in line, but I was able to catch a glimpse of him through the plants blocking the seating area.

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That's when I saw the two ladies I had been seated with the day before at the Claire Clark demo. They were second in line. They called me up to join them, so Connie and I slipped under the ropes and ended up with a great spot in line! We played it off like they had been waiting for us and nobody was the wiser. They had been there about 45 minutes already and told me that the people in front of them in line had been there since 10:30 for a 1:00pm demo!

I was disappointed to find out that you needed a wristband to get in the book signing line. I had brought my book from home to get signed and was oblivious to the Disney rules. I slipped out of line to see if they had any wristbands left, and of course they were long gone by 12:45. I had my heart set on getting that signature, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

We finally were let in and we took our seats at the front near the stage.

Pam came out and did her spiel and then introduced the wine lady. The wine was Petite Petit from the Michael-David Winery. It's a red wine which is a blend of the winery's Petit Sirah and Petite Verdot wines. It wasn't anything special, let's get to Robert already!

Finally Robert was introduced! He came out with coloring pages and crayons for the kids in the audience and he assigned a lady to pass them out to the kids. I think this lady would have done anything Robert asked of her :rotfl:

Then he sat down for a while and talked to Pam and told some stories. All the while, his Sous Chef Patrick and a special guest Chef, Tyler, were making the meal. Robert had met Tyler before hand while he was schmoozing those without tickets by the demo exit. Tyler had Autism and loved to cook, so Robert made sure he got a chance. The kid was very funny and did a good job.

But, back to Robert:

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I was amazed that compared to the size of his ginormous biceps and chest, he's not a big guy. He's got a tiny waist, tiny feet and he's not all that tall. He does have a nice butt though :lmao:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250486.jpg

He finally did make it up to the stage for some cooking.

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While he was up there, he showed everyone pictures from a men's fitness photo shoot he had done recently. He said he had one of him shirtless and coming out of the water all wet, but his handler, Randall, wouldn't let us see it!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250495.jpg

He made Green Peppercorn Steak au Poivre which is on page 236 of his book, in case you have it!

He didn't stay cooking for long and was soon back in the crowd. He talked a little bit about how he cooks with grapeseed oil instead of olive oil. It has no flavor so it doesn't alter the taste of the recipe at all. He squirted some on his hand and licked it off then offered people in the audience a taste. You should have seen some of these women jump! Boy were they disappointed when he squirted it on their hands instead of his :rotfl2:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250500.jpg

The food was served and it was amazing. The steak was tender and the demi glace sauce was delicious.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250497.jpg

And onion squiggles on the top, how can you beat that?

I was sad when the demo came to an end, but was thrilled when Robert mentioned that he would stay to sign books until the last person who wanted to see him got a chance!

Yes, clap for yourself you nice, nice man

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250506.jpg

I quickly rushed out of the demo saying goodbye to everyone and got to the end of a very very long line. There were two lines set up, one for those with wristbands and then the overflow line. I'd say there were easily 100 people total, maybe more.

I had another demo scheduled for 2:45 to see Jean Pierre Wybauw who is a Belgian Chocolate guy, but he got the boot in favor of of standing in line to see Robert!

1 hour and 45 minutes later, I got my chance! He was a super nice guy and signed my book, my recipe and a picture. I'm so glad that I got a chance to meet him.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250512.jpg

Nancy for Disney

11-25-2009, 06:11 PM

That is so cool that you got to meet Robert Irvine. I enjoy his show. Boy do I need to do F&W some day.

Stefy

11-26-2009, 04:40 PM

Hi, just popping on over from your TR :)

Sounds like you had fun at the Robert Seminar ;)

Sorry your Ohana experience wasn't all that, we loved it last year and can't wait to go back next year. Maybe its just luck of the drawer, its get so rammed in there.

Looking forward to reading more :)

Quacktatty

11-28-2009, 04:42 PM

That is so cool that you got to meet Robert Irvine. I enjoy his show. Boy do I need to do F&W some day.
You definitely do! I am officially hooked after this trip.

Hi, just popping on over from your TR :)

Sounds like you had fun at the Robert Seminar ;)

Sorry your Ohana experience wasn't all that, we loved it last year and can't wait to go back next year. Maybe its just luck of the drawer, its get so rammed in there.

Looking forward to reading more :)
I'm willing to give it another shot, I hope it's just that I had a crappy server who made the experience kind of sour.

Quacktatty

11-28-2009, 05:07 PM

I spent the evening shopping at Downtown Disney and wasn't planning a big dinner, but TRex was calling my name.

There was easily a 30 minute wait for a table, but I was able to waltz right up to the bar and grab a seat. There were maybe 15 or 20 seats at the bar total and a few were open. It's a great alternative if you aren't looking for the whole TRex experience.

I started with a Cotton Cosmo-tini. It was your standard Cosmo, but it comes poured over Cotton Candy. I love cotton candy so it was a no brainer for me! They have two other flavored Cotton Tini's although I don't remember what they were. One was tropical of nature and came with a blue cotton candy. The other I didn't see served so I'm not sure.

The bartender was great and humored me while and let me take photos of her pouring the drink

Before

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250520.jpg

During

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250521.jpg

After

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910250522.jpg

I know what you are probably thinking - holy sweetness! But it really wasn't too sweet at all. If anything, the cotton candy cut some of the tartness of the cranberry and bite of the vodka and made the drink very smooth. It was so good, I ended up having two :thumbsup2

For my meal I ordered the appetizer sampler with mozzarella sticks instead of the quesadillas. I don't have pictures of my meal but borrowed some from Trip Advisor. The sampler comes on a three tiered plate carrier thing. I disassembled it as it was going to be impossible to eat the way it was.

This is the Spinach and Pepper Jack Queso dip

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/54/2b/5d/spinach-cheese-dip.jpg

I honestly don't remember tasting any spinach, but the queso was decent. It was more or less the same thing you could get from a jar at the grocery store, but I like that, so I was happy!

The bruchetta was awesome! The topping was sweet and the focaccia bread was toasted perfectly. The eggplant in the topping was great, I think it really made the whole dish.

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/54/2b/5e/bruschetta.jpg

The mozzarella sticks were your standard mozzarella sticks. I liked them and was glad I substituted for the quesadillas. I didn't get any onion rings which I think I should have, but I saw when the people next to me ordered the app sampler too that the onion rings come on the same plate as the quesadillas so that's probably why I didn't get them. No big deal, I didn't need the extra food, that's for sure!

GoofySon'sMom

11-28-2009, 07:17 PM

DEFINITELY having one of those Cotton Cosmo-tini's at T-Rex! :upsidedow What a cool drink!

OurDogCisco

11-28-2009, 08:24 PM

Great Food report!!! I can't wait until my youngest is in College so, I can go to the F&W Festival. Maybe I'll have to go solo but I think dh might not like that. I can't wait to hear the rest....

klacey1

11-29-2009, 11:53 AM

We absolutely loved T-Rex! We ordered "real" food (steak and salmon) and were very pleasently surprised!

MickeyNicki

11-29-2009, 12:19 PM

I would love to try TRex and order exactly what you did!

Quacktatty

11-30-2009, 09:21 PM

DEFINITELY having one of those Cotton Cosmo-tini's at T-Rex! :upsidedow What a cool drink!
You must! They are awesome!

Great Food report!!! I can't wait until my youngest is in College so, I can go to the F&W Festival. Maybe I'll have to go solo but I think dh might not like that. I can't wait to hear the rest....
F&W is great, it's something I'd like to do every year.

We absolutely loved T-Rex! We ordered "real" food (steak and salmon) and were very pleasently surprised!
I was surprised too at how good it was.

I would love to try TRex and order exactly what you did!
I'll definitely be ordering the same thing when I go back again.

Quacktatty

11-30-2009, 09:34 PM

I love staying at AKL because it means breakfast on the balcony. My room was situated in such a way that it wasn't all that easy to get to the Mara. I had to walk through the Boma/Jiko lobby or take a back elevator to Simba's Clubhouse. Most mornings I went the Simba's Clubhouse way. I'm not sure I was supposed to actually be going that way because it looked like a Cast Member only type hallway I was in, but it worked!

I kept it simple on this morning - a Mickey Waffle and some breakfast potatoes.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/a53077d1.jpg

The waffle was crisp and delicious. I forgot to get butter though, so I'll have to knock it just a little bit for that - but I can't blame that on the Mara.

The breakfast potatoes were okay. I prefer the little fake potato square things over the big real potatoes, but they were good enough.

BecBennett

12-01-2009, 12:23 AM

I've really been enjoying your reviews, and I can't wait to read about Andrew Zimmern,

Stefy

12-01-2009, 03:22 AM

Oh wow, must have a Cotton Cosmo-tini, it looks awesome!!!

I am uhm-ing and ahh-ing about T-Rex, but only because people say that it is too noisy in there because the storms go off every 20mins (or something to that degree). How far were you from the seated tables?

Mickey Waffles!!! They taste even better with a side of strawberries :)

Disney4nonah

12-01-2009, 03:45 PM

great TR, i'm hooked :) can't wait for more.....
Jeesh, i hope our O'hana dinner is ok....we loved breakfast :)
so we are doing both Breakfast and Dinner this time...

Quacktatty

12-02-2009, 08:12 PM

I've really been enjoying your reviews, and I can't wait to read about Andrew Zimmern,
Thanks! I'll be getting to Andrew sooner or later :rotfl:

Oh wow, must have a Cotton Cosmo-tini, it looks awesome!!!

I am uhm-ing and ahh-ing about T-Rex, but only because people say that it is too noisy in there because the storms go off every 20mins (or something to that degree). How far were you from the seated tables?

Mickey Waffles!!! They taste even better with a side of strawberries :)
I didn't find it overly noisy. The bar area was kind of away from the crazy, but even so, the crazy didn't seem to last that long. I can't remember how far I was from the tables. Maybe I was just distracted by the Cosmo Cotton-tini!

great TR, i'm hooked :) can't wait for more.....
Jeesh, i hope our O'hana dinner is ok....we loved breakfast :)
so we are doing both Breakfast and Dinner this time...
Thanks! I'm sure you will enjoy 'Ohana...just don't be disappointed if you get less than stellar service. That seems to be the report I am hearing from a lot of people lately.

Quacktatty

12-02-2009, 08:33 PM

This day was spent at Universal's Islands of Adventure so this will be a non-Disney food review!

All I really wanted was a hotdog for lunch and so I took a look at what my available options were. Universal's maps have a little index in the back that tell you where to get your desired food item/type. I thought that was very convenient and made choosing a dining location much easier.

I chose to eat at Blondie's which is in Toon Lagoon. Despite the fact that I was eating at exactly noon, the place was completely empty. Well, the whole park was pretty empty that day so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

They had a choice of 4 different kinds of Nathan's hotdogs and I settled on the Slaw Dog. It came with a bag of chips and I also got a soda. The service was fast and the cashier was friendly.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/f499929f.jpg

In hindsight I should have asked for this without the cheese, but it was good anyway. I just didn't think the cheese really added to the flavor and it would have been better without it. We have a really good hotdog place near where I work - it's actually going to be featured on Man vs. Food next week I think - and they have a Southern Slaw dog which is a hotdog with Chili and Coleslaw. I was thinking about that when I ordered and it wasn't what I got.

The dog was huge though and the bun was thick and soft. It was a good value overall. The chips were chips, but at least they were the "fancy" chips and not Lay's.

Stefy

12-03-2009, 03:07 AM

I don't blame you for being distracted by your cotton-tini, I'd be the same :)

Ummmmm hotdog! Looks good...now I want one :)

If U Had Wings

12-03-2009, 09:57 AM

Mmmm Nathans dogs! I don't blame you about the cheese on them though. I'm not a huge fan of cheese flavored product smothering my food most times anyways.

Quacktatty

12-05-2009, 11:17 AM

I don't blame you for being distracted by your cotton-tini, I'd be the same :)

Ummmmm hotdog! Looks good...now I want one :)
I could eat hotdogs for every meal

Mmmm Nathans dogs! I don't blame you about the cheese on them though. I'm not a huge fan of cheese flavored product smothering my food most times anyways.
Yeah...and to me, that's not a "traditional" slaw dog. Oh well...

Quacktatty

12-05-2009, 11:43 AM

The F&W Booths were calling my name and I was pretty hungry since I didn't eat a whole lot this day.

I started on the Canada side and thought that I'd get a drink

The Bacardi Frozen Dragon Berry Colada from Puerto Rico

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/b9cb3e48.jpg

This was good, although you could really taste the coconut rum a little bit more than I might have liked. I did manage to finish it though :rolleyes1

For a small portion it was awful pricey, but it did last me through several more countries.

The Athens booth smelled incredible and I knew I needed to get some Spanikopita.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/316f5e75.jpg

It was too crispy. It fell apart as I was trying to eat it and I ended up practically licking the crumbs off my plate. It was hot which is always a plus and something that is not always easy to find during food and wine!

I'm not much of a seafood eater, so I wasn't sure how I would like this next item.

Fisherman's Pie from Ireland

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/a802e7bf.jpg

This was really good! It was big chunks of Lobster and Scallops surrounded by cheesy mashed potatoes. As seen in the photo, I also grabbed a Sprite from a very cute Welsh boy at the Rose & Crown outside stand.

I enjoyed the lobster pie in the English Garden on the benches near where the British Invasion plays. They weren't playing when I was there, but there were a number of people waiting for the next set.

Paris was calling my name - I got a Parisien Cosmo Slush.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/aa03a707.jpg

Yum! Alcoholy, cold and delicious. It did melt rather fast and took me a long time to drink, but I was kind of glad because it forced me to sit and relax a little bit instead of power eating through World Showcase.

I sat on a bench in Morocco to finish my Cosmo Slush and listened to Mo Rockin. When the slush was done I got a Falafel Pocket from the Marrakesh booth.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/cb35999c.jpg

I did NOT like this. The salad part was fine, but the falafel balls were cold and not tasty at all. I ended up throwing this away.

Boyz II Men was playing at the American Gardens theater that night so I decided I'd watch, but I wanted a snack to take in with me.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/bcfd96a2.jpg

Kaki Gori...mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I got the rainbow, which I always do. My favorite is probably the tangerine, but all the flavors are great. This one must have been sitting out for a bit because the flavors were soaked all the way through. Delicious.

After Boyz II Men I left the park, stopping at the Desserts & Champagne booth on the way out of World Showcase.

I got the Strawberry Shortcake

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/57702edb.jpg

The strawberries were great and there was lots of real whipped cream, kudos to the Disney chefs for that one. The biscuit that came with it was a little weird. It didn't taste bad, but it had a unique flavor that I couldn't put my finger on. Some kind of spice.

onelilspark

12-05-2009, 01:44 PM

pinkivy

12-05-2009, 03:02 PM

norybell

12-06-2009, 10:41 AM

I totally agree about the strawberry shortcake, too. I also thought the biscuit was way too hard...it made it difficult to eat on the go.

Loved the Parisian Cosmo slushie, though...

Quacktatty

12-06-2009, 03:37 PM

I totally agree with your strawberry shortcake review. Loved the amount of fresh strawberries & that it was fresh whipped cream, but they needed a better biscuit.

A small vent: were we the only ones not to get chunks of seafood in the Fisherman's Pie?!?! :sad2:
Haha...you might have been!

I LOVE this sandwich!
Me too!

I totally agree about the strawberry shortcake, too. I also thought the biscuit was way too hard...it made it difficult to eat on the go.

Loved the Parisian Cosmo slushie, though...
My biscuit wasn't hard, just tasted funny!

Quacktatty

12-06-2009, 03:39 PM

I didn't want a big breakfast this morning so I opted for a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with cream cheese and an orange juice. This is my go to breakfast at home and hit the spot. The bagel was soft and although the orange juice is pricey, it was tasty.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270663.jpg

Quacktatty

12-06-2009, 03:46 PM

I was still in my hotdog mood from the day before and had seen that Universal Studios also had a Nathan's hotdog place, so that was where I elected to go. They had the same hotdog menu as Blondie's but with french fries instead of chips (a definite plus!)

I decided on a Chicago Dog.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270667.jpg

I have never had a Chicago Dog before despite the fact that I am a big hotdog lover. I really liked this, but it was messy to eat. The little sport peppers kept falling off and the onions were getting everywhere. I also broke the cardinal rule of eating a Chicago Dog and I put ketchup on it :scared1: What can I say, I like ketchup! The dog and bun were the same as the one from the day before for the most part. I do wish they would toast the buns, that would add something to it.

Stefy

12-07-2009, 02:56 AM

Wow that hotdog looks good!

Loving your eating through the world update, that Fishermans pie looks and sounded yummy :) That strawberry shortcake looks delish also :)

Quacktatty

12-12-2009, 06:18 PM

Wow that hotdog looks good!

Loving your eating through the world update, that Fishermans pie looks and sounded yummy :) That strawberry shortcake looks delish also :)
It was good! I have been craving a Chicago Dog this week, I might have to go get one tomorrow!

Quacktatty

12-12-2009, 06:23 PM

It was pretty hot on this day and my throat had been hurting a little bit, so something cool was in order. On my way to see a show I stopped for a Grape Slush

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270672.jpg

It was nothing special and had kind of a weird aftertaste, very tart, but it did a good job of making my throat feel better. I managed to get a good portion of it on my shorts and of course I had no napkins, but amazingly it didn't stain!

Later I was in the mood for Soft Serve, so I stopped at the Ben & Jerry's in Amityville and got a cone.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270704.jpg

It was creamy and delicious, but not big enough!

Back at AKL later that day I realized I hadn't had any Zebra Domes yet! I had them out on the balcony which resulted in some melting and messy fingers, but it was well worth it.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270722.jpg

Quacktatty

12-12-2009, 06:44 PM

This was the dinner I was most looking forward to on my trip. I fell in love with Jiko last year and was going to make sure I got to experience it again. In fact, I was going to also be there the next night.

I walked the 2 minutes from my room to Jiko and checked in. I have trouble hearing and with the CMs accent we had a rough start but eventually it was all worked out! I waited about 10 minutes to be seated and the restaurant was busy but not packed.

I was given a menu and a wine list and later the hostess came back with a hot towel. It's a nice touch but I wish they would leave the towel and not wait while you used it.

My server came over and didn't give me much time to decide what I wanted to eat and also wanted to know both my App and Entree, but I didn't mind because I had browsed the menu ahead of time and decided what I wanted.

I started with the Ostrich Filet. I had done some research about the Ostrich and the specific farm that the Jiko Ostrich comes from and learned that it was best to eat rare or medium rare. I did notice that the server didn't ask how I wanted it to be cooked. I figured enough people didn't know about Ostrich that it wasn't worth asking someone only to have them basically ruin the meat by getting it Medium Well or something.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270726.jpg

As you can see from the picture it was server very rare, it had basically just been seared on the outside. It was crusted in spices and sliced into very small pieces and served on a bed of chickpeas with a lemon mint yogurt. The meat was very tender and I really liked it with the yogurt sauce. I really didn't like the chickpeas, but I'm not a chickpea eater. I tried one and it was far too spicy for my tastes.

For my entree I had the Barbecue Beef Short Ribs. I had this last year and fondly remembered it so I was looking forward to trying it again. The meat was incredibly tender and came clean off the bone. I ate about half and had to push it to the side because it was far too much food for me. I was disappointed that I couldn't finish it but still think I made a good choice anyway.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270727.jpg

I did save room for dessert and tried one of the newer menu items - the White Chocolate Lemon Mousse and I also had a Nutty African coffee drink.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270728.jpg

The Lemon Mousse was SO GOOD! I am glad I chose this over the cheesecake that I got last time. It came with a blueberry compote that paired perfectly with the mousse. The texture of the mousse was more like a cheesecake I think. It was not too sweet and had a great lemon flavor, they had to have used Meyer Lemons. Even the little butterfly shaped cookie that it came with was awesome! I cleaned my plate of everything but some Blueberry Compote.

This was another great meal at Jiko and I was looking forward to going back the next night.

norybell

12-12-2009, 07:07 PM

Later I was in the mood for Soft Serve, so I stopped at the Ben & Jerry's in Amityville and got a cone.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270704.jpg

It was creamy and delicious, but not big enough!
Oh my gosh, I want this right now. Sadly, there is no soft serve that we know of anywhere around us...:sad1:

For my entree I had the Barbecue Beef Short Ribs. I had this last year and fondly remembered it so I was looking forward to trying it again. The meat was incredibly tender and came clean off the bone. I ate about half and had to push it to the side because it was far too much food for me. I was disappointed that I couldn't finish it but still think I made a good choice anyway.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910270727.jpg
I'm also sad that I seem to have had this on an off night. It was a bit dry in the middle for me...oh well. Glad you had a great meal!

oybolshoi

12-13-2009, 12:33 AM

Jiko looked really good - the butterfly cookie was a nice effect on your dessert. How was the coffee, by the way? It looked pretty tempting in your picture! :thumbsup2

Stefy

12-14-2009, 03:18 AM

Zebra Domes!!! Love those :)

Linda67

12-14-2009, 06:27 AM

Great review of Jiko thanks
The Lemon desert looks wonderful :thumbsup2

MomsOf2boys

12-14-2009, 09:59 AM

I'm all caught up and enjoying your report greatly. :thumbsup2

klacey1

12-14-2009, 11:13 AM

Those short ribs look delicious--- tell me you ordered the same thing the next night!!:lmao:

Quacktatty

12-14-2009, 09:06 PM

Oh my gosh, I want this right now. Sadly, there is no soft serve that we know of anywhere around us...:sad1:

I'm also sad that I seem to have had this on an off night. It was a bit dry in the middle for me...oh well. Glad you had a great meal!
It's great...you have to give it a second chance!

Jiko looked really good - the butterfly cookie was a nice effect on your dessert. How was the coffee, by the way? It looked pretty tempting in your picture! :thumbsup2
The coffee was great, I had it on my last trip too. This one was particularly strong :thumbsup2

Zebra Domes!!! Love those :)
Me too!

Great review of Jiko thanks
The Lemon desert looks wonderful :thumbsup2
It was soooooo good

I'm all caught up and enjoying your report greatly. :thumbsup2
Thanks!

Those short ribs look delicious--- tell me you ordered the same thing the next night!!:lmao:
You'll have to wait and see...

Quacktatty

12-14-2009, 09:35 PM

I had a pretty terrible night of sleep and slept in on this morning. Sleeping in means one thing - Room Service!! I called around 9am and just about 20 minutes later my breakfast was delivered.

The CM bringing my food was super nice - he brought in my newspaper and greeted me with a cheery "Good Morning!" He put my tray on the table and explained a few things before leaving me my breakfast.

Here's the untouched tray

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/bf12c3e0.jpg

I ordered a Belgian Waffle with Bacon, Hot Chocolate, OJ and a Pastry Basket.

The hot chocolate was delicious and came with little mini marshmallows to add to the cup. It was a nice change from Food Court coffee or hot chocolate.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/bf029757.jpg

The waffle was big and crisp, just how I like my waffles. Even the bacon was decent!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/b6fabf24.jpg

The pastry basket was just okay, but I'm glad I got it as it served as breakfast for the next couple days. It included a chocolate croissant, a regular croissant, some mini muffins and a couple cinnamon rolls. The croissants were moist and I especially liked the chocolate croissant - it was the same as the one I had at Boma earlier that week. The mini muffins were pretty good - a variety of flavors and all pretty moist, but maybe a little greasy. The cinnamon rolls were a huge disappointment. They were stale on the first day and inedible by the second.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/448b70ba.jpg

I have to say that staying at Deluxe and being able to get room service any time you want is a huge selling point for me. My next trip is supposed to be a "save money trip" but I'm having a hard time convincing myself to actually do that!

If U Had Wings

12-15-2009, 12:27 PM

I love room service! Looks like it was a great way to have a bit of a quiet morning.

Stefy

12-16-2009, 03:28 AM

Oh yes room service is the best, breakfast in bed (or on the porch), can't get any better :)

Quacktatty

12-18-2009, 07:50 PM

I love room service! Looks like it was a great way to have a bit of a quiet morning.
It was!

Oh yes room service is the best, breakfast in bed (or on the porch), can't get any better :)
:thumbsup2

Quacktatty

12-18-2009, 08:06 PM

After a morning at Animal Kingdom I was hungry and :gasp: not really in the mood for Flame Tree! I probably would have gone there had they not taken the Beef Sandwich off the menu. But, I was in the mood for Pizza, so Pizzafari it was.

It wasn't lunch time so it wasn't too busy at Pizzafari, but for some reason people weren't using both lines at the registers. When I got there a CM in a dress shirt (read: important) was standing on one side of the register and the Pizzafari CM was taking an order from the other side. I considered getting in line behind the tie CM but thought that maybe he was the manager and was observing or something. Turns out he didn't even work at Pizzafari and was buying some Disney Conservation Fund buttons! Oh well, it was all worked out eventually and people started using both lines.

Since I was uber hungry, I over ordered here. I got the cheese pizza, which comes with a side caesar salad, and I also got an order of bread sticks. When I got my food I was surprised at how much food it was!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/4b6a5719.jpg

The pizza was pretty good. I know that Disney pizza gets a bad rap, but I liked it. I don't have the most discerning pizza palate however, so take my review for what you will. It didn't have an over abundance of sauce which probably pushed it up a few rungs in my book...I've never been a big fan of saucy pizzas.

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The caesar salad was okay...too much dressing. It also had a kind of weird flavor. I didn't end up eating much of it.

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I was expecting the breadsticks to have more flavor to them, but they were much like the breadstick I had at Pop earlier in the trip. A little bit of flavor on the outside but just bread on the inside. I only ate about half of these.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/41a823f5.jpg

I'm glad I chose to eat here and would probably choose this counter service again if I wasn't in the mood for BBQ. But next time I would probably forgo the breadsticks.

Quacktatty

12-20-2009, 01:13 PM

It was hotter than Africa at Animal Kingdom this day so after standing still for nearly 15 minutes watching the parade and pretty much melting, I grabbed a Mickey Bar on the way out of the park.

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Somehow, half the chocolate ended up on my shirt which I didn't notice until returning to my resort!!

Quacktatty

12-20-2009, 01:50 PM

No, I didn't forget that I already reviewed Jiko - I ate there two nights in a row :thumbsup2

The plan for this evening was to meet my new DIS friend Connie and her friend Kim for dinner at 9pm. I was a little bit early and didn't see them in the lobby so I stopped at Victoria Falls for a drink. I couldn't NOT stop there since I had to walk through it to get to Jiko ;)

I had some kind of Mojito - I think it was the Passion Fruit Mojito? I can't remember now, but it was good!

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I didn't order another drink since I figured by this time Connie would have arrived. I went back to the lobby and didn't see them. Hmmm. I sat for a little while, went up to the main lobby to see if they maybe were waiting up there, walked outside to see if they were walking over (they were staying at Kidani), no sign of them. I called Connie's phone but it wasn't turned on so I left a voicemail saying that I was waiting, but if they didn't show by 9 I would just eat without them - I wasn't missing Jiko!!! I even checked with the manager to see if they had maybe checked in already and were seated, but that was not the case. I waited for another 10 minutes or so and just gave up on them.

I went to the desk and told them that I didn't have a reservation under my name but would like to be seated if possible. There was no trouble getting in. The girl asked if I was staying at AKL, which I told her I was and she took my room number. Weird...since the night before I had said that I was staying there and the guy checking me in didn't take my room number. Then she asked if I would mind sitting at the Cooking Place. I said, "I would LOVE to!!!"

She brought me over to the Cooking Place and Andy from Namibia, the appetizer chef, introduced himself. While poor Andy was in the middle of talking, the manager, Rob, came over and started his own conversation with me! I think he felt bad that my friends had not shown up for dinner, but I assured him that it was okay since I was already having a great time getting to sit at the Cooking Place with Andy! We talked for a while about living in the Northeast and insurance, two things we had in common, and then my waiter, Khadim from Morocco, came over and took my drink order. He too made conversation about me eating alone, but I assured him too that I was just happy I got a chance to have another meal at my favorite restaurant.

Khadim started me with a complimentary Carrot and Ginger soup which he said was given as a thank you to all the guests who were staying at AKL. I should have gotten one of those the night before, but I didn't - sad! I really enjoyed it and could probably eat a whole bowl instead of just the small taste that I was given.

Andy asked if I had any food allergies and what I was planning to order. When I told him he then asked if I would be okay with him making me some on the house appetizers. I said that he could make me whatever he wanted!
He went to work and a short time later delivered a plate with two appetizers for me:

Tibs Watt in Panekoeke and the Crispy Savannah Rolls.

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The Tibs Watt is more or less the same thing as the Short Ribs, but obviously a much smaller portion rolled up in a pancake. The Crispy Savannah Rolls are filled with corn, bitter greens and goat cheese and served with a curried vinaigrette. The Savannah Rolls were probably my favorite part of the meal!

For the non free part of my meal I started with the Ostrich Filet again.

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It was not as good as the one from the night before. It was too spicy, almost like they had a bunch of spice crust left over and because it was getting late they put it all on my ostrich. I finished it, but didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first one I had. Once again I left the chickpeas untouched which Khadim teased me about. I told him I was saving room.

Andy told me that when he was a boy he tried to ride an ostrich and it kicked him off in about 5 seconds. I asked him if he ate it as revenge :rotfl:

The problem with this meal was that there were about 100 things on the menu that I wanted to try, but I was already kind of full from what I had eaten so far! Instead of a full entree I decided to get a salad and a flatbread.

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The Jiko Seasonal Salad had butter pears, candied walnuts and little edible flowers all in an apple vinaigrette. It was delicious! The pears really made it interesting and tasty. Funny enough I had been craving a salad with walnuts before the trip, so when I saw this one I knew I had to have it!

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The flatbread was the Chef's special - goat cheese, peppers and portobella mushrooms. There was way too much goat cheese on it and I just couldn't finish it. I couldn't finish the salad for that matter either. I had Khadim box both of them up so I could eat them later. He wasn't convinced that I would, but I promised that I wouldn't let them go to waste!

I did save a little bit of room for dessert - I needed to have that Lemon Mousse again!

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I managed to finish it off but I was now beyond full. I couldn't eat another bite if you had paid me. If I was going to eat at the Cooking Place again, which I sincerely hope that I do, I wouldn't order as much food. I really overdid it especially with all the complimentary snacks I got.

I was pretty much the last person in the restaurant so after I finished I said goodnight to Khadim, Andy and Rob and went back to my room with my leftovers. I didn't make it far though as Khadim chased me up the stairs to give me a knife and fork for my leftovers - what a guy!

This was a great experience and although I would have enjoyed eating dinner with Connie and Kim, I'm kind of glad they didn't show as I imagine I wouldn't have been able to sit at the Cooking Place and receive the same first class treatment that I got. If I wasn't hooked on Jiko for life already, this meal surely did it for me.

Stefy

12-21-2009, 03:20 AM

Aww wow thats so nice that you got such great service :) Its sounds like they really helped make the meal special for you :)

MickeyNicki

12-21-2009, 10:56 AM

That salad from Jiko was the highlight of our meal there last month...it was excellent!

klacey1

12-21-2009, 06:53 PM

I like Disney pizza, too! I love the lack of sauce and the fact that the crust is always crisp!
Again, not a big Jiko lover, but I would love me some ostrich right now. Awesome that you got so much free food!

If U Had Wings

12-22-2009, 12:04 PM

One of these days I'm going to have to try Jiko. I've heard so many good things about it, and it all looks so delicious!

Quacktatty

12-26-2009, 07:28 PM

Aww wow thats so nice that you got such great service :) Its sounds like they really helped make the meal special for you :)
:)

That salad from Jiko was the highlight of our meal there last month...it was excellent!
Wasn't it? I'm still thinking about it...

I like Disney pizza, too! I love the lack of sauce and the fact that the crust is always crisp!
Again, not a big Jiko lover, but I would love me some ostrich right now. Awesome that you got so much free food!
Too much free food :lmao:

One of these days I'm going to have to try Jiko. I've heard so many good things about it, and it all looks so delicious!
You definitely have to try it...it's awesome

Quacktatty

12-26-2009, 07:39 PM

I only had a mini muffin and a croissant from my pastry basket for breakfast so by about 10:00 I was pretty hungry. I was in the Land so naturally I went to Sunshine Seasons. I didn't look around at many of the options because it took me about 3 seconds to decide what I wanted...a cheese danish! I also got an OJ and took a seat.

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The danish was so fresh, it was delicious. The cheese filling was perfect! I don't really like the bottled OJ that WDW offers, but it'll do in a pinch!

Quacktatty

12-29-2009, 07:15 PM

I had a late lunch at Le Cellier on this day. I headed to Canada and checked in with the CM at the top of the path to the restaurant. This seemed to be a much smoother process then waiting in any kind of line at the "official" check-in desk. It took her about 15 seconds to find me and then she sent me to the main entrance to wait. Less than 5 minutes later, my name was called and I was seated.

I'm not very picky about where I get seated, but I probably had one of the worst seats in the place! They put me at the very first table at the entrance of the dining room. If I had sat with my back to the dining room I would have seen a continuous stream of people walking into the place. Instead, I sat facing the dining room and got to watch everybody else eat and all the waiters come out of the kitchen - not so bad since I was alone, but if I were with someone it would have been a less than ideal table.

My server, Ali, was TOTALLY over the top. She was just way too happy for her own good. She was a nice girl though and I really enjoyed her, but probably would have enjoyed her more if she took it down from 11 to 10!

Le Cellier is a pretty loud restaurant and I don't hear well so I did my best to try and catch what she was saying and I figured out that she was trying to take my drink order, recommending a certain martini - the Pink Bikini Martini! When I ordered it she was very surprised as it seems that men order it almost exclusively when she recommends it. It was basically a cosmo type of martini but made with pink lemonade instead of cranberry. Right up my alley!

***An explanation about the photos - the restaurant was dark and there were many many people so I refrained from using the flash***

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910290920.jpg

The bread came quickly and Ali explained what each one represented and I have now totally forgotten! I started with the pretzel bread but it was pretty dark and had way too much salt on it (I'm not a fan of salt). I think I ended up mostly eating the multigrain.

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I started with the Cheddar Cheese soup - I had been looking forward to this since my last trip to Le Cellier in 2007! It was as good as I remembered, but a little spicier than I remembered - but not in a bad way.

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While I waited for my entree to come, I watched a special show that I was sure was being put on for my benefit. A woman and her husband were having their anniversary lunch and this woman must have sent back her steak (I think the NY Strip) about 5 times. Not even exaggerating. Each time it wasn't cooked enough. She was very apologetic, but I just couldn't help thinking that you shouldn't be coming to a steakhouse if you are just there to eat a burnt piece of meat. She would have enjoyed the steak served at 'Ohana the night I ate there! Eventually the manager came over to talk with them and the woman went on and on about how they come to Disney all the time and how she was not sure about eating here but thought it would be okay, etc. The manager went way above and beyond and comped her steak as well as giving them a free dessert and champagne for their anniversary. I was kind of irritated by that - it wasn't anything the kitchen did, this woman was just beyond picky and never should have ordered a steak in the first place!!

Anyway....on to my entree. I wanted Filet, but I asked if I could have it with creamed spinach instead of the risotto. My server said there would be an upcharge and the creamed spinach would come separately, was that ok? I said it was and then she asked if I still wanted the risotto with my steak. I passed since I thought it would be too much starch but I assumed that I'd still get the mushrooms and sauce, just no risotto.

Well - I got my entree and I was wrong!!! My steak was totally plain. I figured that they thought I was ordering it without the mushrooms like so many do, but I just really wanted creamed spinach rather than risotto. No big deal though. The steak was a perfectly cooked medium rare and the creamed spinach came in a huge skillet on the side. It was covered in delicious cheese. I ended up scooping a good portion of it over to my steak plate and made my own dish which was delicious.

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The creamed spinach really pushed me over the edge...it was so good but it was too rich and I could not even come close to finishing it.

I did manage to save some room for dessert though :thumbsup2

Ali came by and took my order and I told her that I would cap off my predictable Le Cellier meal (cheese soup and filet) with the appropriate dessert - Maple Creme Brulee. Now, I really don't know why I ordered this. I guess I wanted to give creme brulee another chance and I love maple, but ack. I really didn't enjoy it. The taste was fine, but it was nothing special at all.

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Le Cellier will always be on my list of repeat restaurants but I do have a couple lessons learned:
If you are making a side substitute, make sure you ask to still have the sauce that comes with the entree and no more creme brulee!!!!!!!

Pooh&OurHunny

12-31-2009, 02:15 PM

klacey1

01-01-2010, 11:46 AM

Mmmm that filet looks good! Sometimes I have to wonder if LeCellier really deserves its hype (We've never been), but that spinach and steak looked amazing!

lizzyb

01-01-2010, 04:42 PM

Great reviews!

Quacktatty

01-01-2010, 05:02 PM

Just joining in and enjoying your reviews. My husband and I loved Jiko on our last trip...in fact my husband wanted to eat there on our last night but my son was feeling tired so when he went to sleep we order room service from Jiko and it was yummy. We had our desserts in our balcony watching the giraffs and zebras. I love those Zebra domes too (especially my evening snacks). My son has been asking to go to Disney but I want to try on a budget so we might go and stay at Pop (how was that), I never stayed at a value but I keep thinking I need a deluxe b/c of the room service but then I go back and forth of going on a budget.
Pop was okay, but to be honest, I probably wouldn't stay there again. I just booked again for May and I'll be staying at POFQ. Still no room service, but it's close to DTD and will be better than Pop as far as comfort of beds, etc.

Mmmm that filet looks good! Sometimes I have to wonder if LeCellier really deserves its hype (We've never been), but that spinach and steak looked amazing!
I don't think it deserves the hype it gets, but I do enjoy it. The spinach was awesome though, a must have in my opinion!

Great reviews!
Thanks!

Quacktatty

01-01-2010, 05:09 PM

I wasn't feeling great this day, so I had gone back to AKL to take a nap. When I woke up it was pretty late, so I just went down to Mara for dinner.

There isn't a huge selection here, but it's decent. I ended up having a Bacon Double Cheeseburger w/ fries. The burger came quickly and was still hot by the time I got back to my room - always a good thing. I'm not a huge burger fan, but I liked this. And the bacon was pretty good too.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910290948.jpg

I also had Apples w/ Caramel Dip. For some reason I became completely obsessed with this snack at this point in my trip. Who knew something as simple as Apples and Caramel could make me so happy!?

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onelilspark

01-01-2010, 09:52 PM

Flossbolna

01-02-2010, 04:23 PM

I love those apples with caramel, too! They make a great snack at the pool! :thumbsup2

Quacktatty

01-03-2010, 04:50 PM

I drive a lot for work, and one of my favorite drive-through foods are the McDonalds Apple Dippers :) They're cheap and a much better snack than fries! ...Though they're a little messier if I try to dip & drive...
Oooh...I'll have to try those!

I love those apples with caramel, too! They make a great snack at the pool! :thumbsup2
I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves them!

Quacktatty

01-03-2010, 05:11 PM

I have never eaten at the Main Street Bakery before so I decided that today would be the day. I got there just a few minutes after rope drop and I was surprised at the line! I waited maybe 8 minutes to get my chance to order. I exactly the same thing I had from Sunshine Seasons the day before - a cheese danish and an OJ. I know, boring! But I love me some cheese danish.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300951.jpg

This one had a much wider area of filling than the Sunshine Seasons danish had - a definite plus, but it wasn't as creamy. It was almost like they have a set amount of filling to use and the guy making the danishes can choose to use that filling any way he wants. The Main St. Bakery guy likes his spread out more I guess!

For lunch, I went to Casey's Corner. I was going to get the corn dog nuggets but decided to stick with just a regular hot dog and some fries instead. There was no seating so I ended up sharing a table with a British woman who was sitting alone at a table next to the rest of her family. It was not easy to find a seat anywhere on this day.

I didn't get a photo, but here's one from last year. My food (and even my drink cup) looked remarkably similar.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/2b9b5b6b.jpg

jenbear123

01-07-2010, 10:29 PM

YOU GOT MY SISTER FOR YOUR SERVER AT LE CELLIER!!!!! FINALLY I HAVE FOUND SOMEONE ON THE DIS!!!!! :yay: You're right about her being a little hyper. She's like that though. Always happy... maybe a little too much sometimes. But hey, she's just trying to make you smile :goodvibes Okay, I'll go back and read the rest.... :laughing:

EDIT: Just be glad you didn't order the Chocolate "Moose". Then you really would've seen how "over-the-top" Ali (her full name is actually Alison) can be :rolleyes1 I think she told me about that day with the lady sending back her steak so many times. I hate people like that. You know when a person isn't a real steak eater when they're THAT picky....

Quacktatty

01-08-2010, 07:54 AM

Quacktatty

01-09-2010, 09:50 PM

I broke my own Demo rule on this day and didn't even get to the Festival Welcome center until 15 minutes before it started! For a big star like Andrew Zimmern, I knew this would be a problem. And it was...I was really far back in line, ugh! I didn't think there was a chance in h-e-double hockey sticks that I'd get a good seat. But, that's where being solo comes as an advantage - I got a table right up front!! There was one open seat and the front and center table and it was all mine!

Pam Smith came out and introduced the Wine lady whose name I cannot remember, but she was pretty outgoing.

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She had a Rosa Regale paired with Andrew's dish which as a non-wine drinker surprised me. She went on to explain that when you have a spicy dish, a sweet wine can go really well with it. I liked the taste of Rosa Regale that I had, but I think I'm just not quite a wine drinker yet.

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Once we were done with all the wine nonsense, Pam introduced Andrew. He came out, sans Sous chef, and was ready to cook. He didn't sit and talk and tell stories like the other chefs did, instead he got right to cooking and talked as he did that.

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He did a really good job of explaining everything that he was doing. He wasn't using too many ingredients that were uncommon, but the ones that he did - like lemon grass - he made sure to explain how to prepare it.

Andrew made a Sweet and Sour Bangkok Style Quail with Red Chiles. I'd never had quail before, so I was looking forward to trying it. One thing I really took away from the demo was that the sauce for the quail was something that could be used with all kinds of proteins. I'd like to try it with shrimp sometime, not that I ever cook at home!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300976.jpg

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About 30 minutes into the demo we were served the Quail dish.

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Wow! It was so good. Spicy, but not overly hot and the Quail was really well cooked and crisp on the outside. It also came with a clump of white rice which just so happens to be on my list of favorite foods :thumbsup2

I pretty much inhaled it, and tried to have some with the wine, but man, I really like it. I usually avoid spice because it gives me heartburn, but I think this was done really well and I didn't have that issue.

Andrew took some questions from the audience, typical things that you would expect him to be asked - what was the worst thing you ever ate, is there anything you wouldn't eat, etc. He was a good sport about answering since I'm sure he gets these types of questions all the time.

He was doing a book signing afterwards, but I decided that I would get my book signing needs taken care of the next day.

All in all it was very enjoyable, and the food wasn't as weird as I thought it would be!

danalee

01-09-2010, 11:03 PM

just joined in and i'm loving your reviews! :goodvibes

oybolshoi

01-09-2010, 11:06 PM

Great update with Zimmern! And what a generous serving you received! Two thumbs up for him!! :thumbsup2

CanadianPaco

01-10-2010, 09:47 AM

I so loved your reviews!!!!! That breakfast photo from Pop made my mouth water!!! Thx:wizard:

Quacktatty

01-10-2010, 02:53 PM

just joined in and i'm loving your reviews! :goodvibes
Thanks!

Great update with Zimmern! And what a generous serving you received! Two thumbs up for him!! :thumbsup2
Yeah, it was a pretty good size piece of quail. I was pleasantly surprised at the sample sizes.

I so loved your reviews!!!!! That breakfast photo from Pop made my mouth water!!! Thx:wizard:
:)

Quacktatty

01-10-2010, 03:18 PM

It was getting to be dinnerish time when my Andrew Zimmern demo finished up so I decided to take a walk around World Showcase and do some F&W eating.

I started on the Mexico side with Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

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This is the Leblon Frozen Caipirinha. I don't know what kind of alcohol is in a Caipirinha, but I did like it. You could really taste the alcohol, but it wasn't overpowering.

My next stop was Melbourne, Australia.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300987.jpg

I got the Lamington, which despite the name has no lamb. It's actually a pound cake covered in chocolate and coconut. It was not as sweet as I was expecting it to be. It was very good though. I'm a big fan of coconut so this was right up my alley.

I couldn't pass by the Hops & Barley booth without taking a stop to get my favorite food item

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300988.jpg

I still have a longing for this crab cake, it was so good. I wish I could recreate it at home.

On my trip in September 2008 I had dinner at Teppan Edo and ordered a Sukiyaki Beef Roll which was cooked right on the hibachi and served hot. When I saw that the Tokyo, Japan booth had this as an offering, I knew I had to get one.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300992.jpg

It wasn't the same. This was served cold and doesn't even look as seared as the one I had from Teppan Edo. It was good, but I was disappointed that it wasn't what I was expecting.

I was pretty full, but when I got to the UK, I knew I needed to make a special stop. I went into the Rose & Crown pub, made my way up to the bar and ordered a Welsh Dragon.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300994.jpg

Yum! This was so good. I had numerous people stopping me to ask what I was drinking and how it was. I think I sold a couple people on the Welsh Dragon on this day. I usually drink Vodka and pineapple juice, so this was perfect for me. I'll be getting this drink again on my next trip.

Last but not least, Edy's Flavorhood was calling my name. They didn't have a great selection of flavors - just Chocolate, Vanilla and Mint Chocolate Chip, but I made do.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910300996.jpg

This was the perfect sized ice cream for a hot day. It was enough to cool me down, but not so big that it melted before I got to the bottom of the carton.

Stefy

01-11-2010, 03:08 AM

Oooh that Lamington looks yumma and the Welsh Dragon sounds like a must try :)

klacey1

01-11-2010, 12:21 PM

Mmmm that lamington looks good! (Fun name to say, too haha)

Bev J

01-11-2010, 02:02 PM

Sounds like you had a great time! I can see now that I have missed alot in the food wine festival!
How far ahead of time did you get tickets for the demo's? Was there a cost for them? I don't remember ever seeing a list of the goings on for F&WF is it posted somewhere on the Disney site ahead of time, I would sure like to see it to help with our planning, if you have any info from 09 can you post it to give me an idea of what was offered?
Thanks so much for the review and all the great info!

Bev

martinolichfamily

01-11-2010, 02:29 PM

Just found your reviews today....great job!
These make me so hungry and wishing I was there!! ;)

F & W looks like fun! Maybe in the near future!

Great job...waiting to hear more!

Rags

01-11-2010, 03:14 PM

Great Reviews!!!!:thumbsup2

jenbear123

01-11-2010, 04:30 PM

Oh my goodness. Everything that you tried at F&W looks incredible. Too bad the sushi was disappointing. I hate that when it's not what you're expecting. The Welsh Dragon looks so refreshing, especially on a hot day. How much was it for that little tub of ice cream?

Quacktatty

01-17-2010, 10:27 AM

Oooh that Lamington looks yumma and the Welsh Dragon sounds like a must try :)
Definitely get a Welsh Dragon - this will be a staple for me!

Mmmm that lamington looks good! (Fun name to say, too haha)
Haha

Sounds like you had a great time! I can see now that I have missed alot in the food wine festival!
How far ahead of time did you get tickets for the demo's? Was there a cost for them? I don't remember ever seeing a list of the goings on for F&WF is it posted somewhere on the Disney site ahead of time, I would sure like to see it to help with our planning, if you have any info from 09 can you post it to give me an idea of what was offered?
Thanks so much for the review and all the great info!
Bev
I got the demo tickets maybe a month in advance? They were $8, $5 if you have an AP or TiW which I have now but didn't at the time. The list is out there, I think they posted it in August sometime - you can find it on AllEars.

Just found your reviews today....great job!
These make me so hungry and wishing I was there!! ;)

F & W looks like fun! Maybe in the near future!

Great job...waiting to hear more!
Thanks!

Great Reviews!!!!:thumbsup2
Thanks!

Oh my goodness. Everything that you tried at F&W looks incredible. Too bad the sushi was disappointing. I hate that when it's not what you're expecting. The Welsh Dragon looks so refreshing, especially on a hot day. How much was it for that little tub of ice cream?
It was $3.25 for the ice cream. Let's try to forget that I can get a half gallon for about $.75 more than that in the grocery store!!

Quacktatty

01-17-2010, 10:39 AM

I decided to forgo real breakfast this, my last morning, in favor of more F&W sampling.

I started on the Canada side this time around - first stop, Cork, Ireland

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311022.jpg

Chocolate Lava Cake with Bailey's Ganache. This had a really sharp Bailey's taste to it and wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.

Next stop was Bologna, Italy

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311023.jpg

This pizza was the biggest disappointment of the whole festival. It made me want to go home and have Papa Gino's right that minute. The sauce had a weird taste to it and the cheese was like plastic. And let's not forget that giant piece of ham(?) on top.

I needed something to take the taste of nasty out of my mouth so I headed to Shanghai, China

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311024.jpg

I went with something I knew I would like - Caramel Ginger Ice Cream. I'd had this last year from the Lotus Blossom Cafe so I knew that I would like it. There are big chunks of ginger throughout - delicious. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's a pretty big serving size.

I finished my ice cream while I walked to the F&W Welcome Center for my next demo.

Stefy

01-17-2010, 10:59 AM

Will defo try that when we go.

Oh that chocolate cake looks gorgeous, wish I had one now :)

Quacktatty

01-23-2010, 08:30 PM

Today was the second demo that Andrew Zimmern gave. I signed up for both in hopes that he would be cooking something different, but really because I wanted to see him. I had gone to get my wrist band for the book signing first thing that morning, I was the very first wrist band recipient that day :thumbsup2 I was glad to find out that you don't need to buy your book at WDW to get the wrist band, you only need to ask for one before they run out. There is a very limited number - maybe only 40? - that are given out for the signings.

Around 12:15, I went to the Welcome Center and got in line for the demo. There weren't too many people so I was up near the front. I talked with the people in front of me for a while and they gave me some chocolate to tide me over - it was Halloween after all. At about 12:45, the line was as long as it was when I had arrived the day before - quite a difference. I don't know if it was because it was Halloween, or because he was making the same dish, but there just weren't as many people.

I'm not going to go into incredible detail on this review since it was pretty much the same as the last one. I will share lots of pictures though!

Lucas Meeker was there to present the wine - his parents own Meeker Vineyards and he has his own winery now - Lucas J

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311026.jpg

He brought FroZin which was again picked because it's a sweet wine that would pair well with spicy food

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311025.jpg

Pam introduced Andrew and he came out - this time with no beard. I was glad that my pictures would look different from the previous demo :rotfl:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910310234.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311027.jpg

He told many of the same stories and even answered the same questions from the audience

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311029.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311032.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311036.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311039.jpg

The food came with a very slightly different presentation from the day before, but it was just as good. Spicy but not overwhelmingly so and the flavors really did blend together quite well.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311033.jpg

The day before we had been given a fork and knife and many people tried to be polite as they were eating and cut the quail while eating it. This day we were only given a fork for the rice and we picked up the quail with our hands as I believe was intended. I got more meat off my little quail bones this time!

Andrew finished up and was "rushed" off to the book signing as Pam put it. I didn't linger as I wanted to get a good spot in line. I was maybe 10 people back, much better than my Robert Irvine spot, that's for sure. Andrew's signing was so much more business like than Robert's. A woman came through and asked if we would like a postcard or a picture - you couldn't have both. I chose the picture which was really just a photocopied photo, not on actual photo paper or anything. Then she wrote your name on a post it and stuck it to the photo.

When I got up to meet Andrew, he didn't make conversation like Robert did - but I tried to engage him anyway. I asked him what his comfort food was, a question that I hadn't heard asked at either demo. He told me that it was his wife's Tater Tot Hot Dish. I found that pretty funny - I just can't picture Andrew Zimmern drooling over Tater Tots.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311042.jpg

He signed my photo very business like with just his name and then posed for the obligatory picture.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311043.jpg

I wasn't as impressed with him. Robert Irvine wins the award for my favorite demo of this year's festival.

disney_princess_85

01-23-2010, 09:35 PM

Hi! :wave2:

I'm somewhat of a latecomer to your thread but I've read your most recent reviews and I'm impressed! Off to page 1 I go...

jenbear123

01-23-2010, 10:00 PM

Too bad Andrew was less than spectacular. I know it's tough meeting and greeting so many people, but come on. These people look up to you and admire your work! At least give something back to your fans. Sorry, rant over.

The pizza looks good. Too bad it was underwhelming. Those Italians are known for their pizza. I'll never forget the pizza I had when I was in Naples, Italy. It was that day I realized that eating pizza at home would never be the same.

I spoke to my sister about that day she served you. She remembered you but felt bad you had to sit at that table. You didn't say very much either during the dinner. I guess that's why she was overly happy; to make sure everything was enjoyable. :goodvibes

MickeyNicki

01-24-2010, 07:42 AM

Next stop was Bologna, Italy

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311023.jpg

This pizza was the biggest disappointment of the whole festival. It made me want to go home and have Papa Gino's right that minute. The sauce had a weird taste to it and the cheese was like plastic. And let's not forget that giant piece of ham(?) on top.

Oh my, Papa Gino's....I grew up on that place and the first thing I do when I land at Logan is tell my mom to take me straight to PG for a cheese pizza...nothing better than that!

Stefy

01-24-2010, 11:29 AM

Its a shame he wasn't as interactive with you, but at least he answered your question and was polite. But I know that that pales in comparison to Robert ;)

2Tiggies

01-24-2010, 11:47 AM

Love your review.

The pizza was pretty good. I know that Disney pizza gets a bad rap, but I liked it. I don't have the most discerning pizza palate however, so take my review for what you will. It didn't have an over abundance of sauce which probably pushed it up a few rungs in my book...I've never been a big fan of saucy pizzas.

I agree about Pizzafari pizza. It wasn't too saucy, but it had plenty cheese and most importantly, the cheese was EVENLY spread and it wasn't over cooked and dry on the edges so it looked good too!

Quacktatty

01-31-2010, 04:28 PM

Hi! :wave2:

I'm somewhat of a latecomer to your thread but I've read your most recent reviews and I'm impressed! Off to page 1 I go...
Thanks - hope you enjoyed them!

I spoke to my sister about that day she served you. She remembered you but felt bad you had to sit at that table. You didn't say very much either during the dinner. I guess that's why she was overly happy; to make sure everything was enjoyable. :goodvibes
Well I was by myself, who was I supposed to be talking to? :rotfl: But really, I'm just a quiet person, especially around people I don't know. I just like to sit back and take it all in.

Oh my, Papa Gino's....I grew up on that place and the first thing I do when I land at Logan is tell my mom to take me straight to PG for a cheese pizza...nothing better than that!
Woohoo! Another PG lover. The closest one to me is too far, but I often go out of my way to get some.

Its a shame he wasn't as interactive with you, but at least he answered your question and was polite. But I know that that pales in comparison to Robert ;)
He really was fine, but compared to Robert who went above and beyond for everyone, it was a let down.

Love your review.
Thanks!

Quacktatty

01-31-2010, 04:46 PM

Well, here it is - my last meal in the World :sad1:

After my Andrew Zimmern demo, I rode some things and decided to take one last trip around World Showcase before I had to leave.

I started with one of my favorites - Rice Cream from Kringla Bakery og Cafe in Norway.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311044.jpg

I am a sucker for fake strawberries and rice pudding. I know it's not most people's thing, but I love it. I can't believe I waited until the last day to get one, that won't happen again. My only complaint is that it was not big enough!

I had to stop at the China F&W booth for another thing that I kept meaning to get but hadn't yet - Pot Stickers.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311045.jpg

They were big and hot, but not too hot. For my whole life I never knew what Pot Stickers really were until I went to Disney. The Chinese places around here call them Steamed Dumplings. I thought they were this mysterious food when it turns out I have been eating them for years!

Last but not least I decided I needed a good snack for a hot day and something that would leave a pleasant Disney taste in my mouth for the trip home.

Kaki Gori!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/Quacktatty/Disney%20Food/0910311048.jpg

This will forever be my old standby and I'm glad for the change to serving it in a cup rather than that paper cone they used to use. Much easier to eat and the drips don't get all over you.

So that is it for my first trip to F&W and my first trip as a TiW card holder. I'll be returning the first week of May to experience Flower and Garden for the first time and will be doing more eating!

Right now I have ADR's at The Wave, Le Chefs De France and Sanaa and you can definitely expect another set of reviews.

Thanks to everyone for reading along!