Join us in celebrating our 25th Anniversary...DeLuxe Style! SURPRISE FINALE

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Dinner at FLYING FISH CAFE

Highlights - Happy Anniversary menus and Complimentary Champagne, Crab Cakes, and Good Service

Disappointments - Both our Entrees, Dessert, Noisy

Would we Return? - Probably

On our first day, our plane arrived at about 1:45. We then took ME to the Boardwalk Inn (first stopping at POR), checked-in, unpacked, and then off to Epcot. We were walking past Canada just as Off Kilter was playing the last song of their 3:30 set. We hit several F & W booths as we were starving. Because our lunch was so late, I had scheduled a late dinner at Flying Fish Cafe. Since we were staying at the BWI, Flying Fish seemed like the logical and most convenient restaurant to begin our week of Signature dining.

We checked in exactly on time for our 9:00 reservation. Even though it was late, the restaurant was still pretty busy so we weren't seated right away. After only about a 5 - 10 minute wait though, we were seated and the hostess presented us with Happy Anniversary menus. Our waiter then brought us two complimentary glasses of champagne (actually I think it was Prosecco). A very nice way to begin our 25th Anniversary celebration! We then both ordered the restaurant's signature appetizer, Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake served with Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Anchio Chile Remoulade. These were delicious...I think they may have been the best crab cakes I've ever tasted.

Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake






So our meal was off to a great start, but unfortunately it went downhill after this. For his entree, DH surprised me and ordered the Chef's Special Thunder Entree: Florida Coast Fragrantly-spiced Local Day-boat Triple Tail Fish served with Roasted Purple Okinawa Sweet Potatoes. Although (being fragrantly-spice) the fish may have smelled good, the spices didn't seem to add anything to the flavor of the fish...resulting in a pretty boring, tasteless dish. Oh, and a side note here...before our trip, DH had asked me not to take any pictures of our food. Well, I proposed a compromise and said I would only take pictures of my food. As a result, I have no picture of this entree. But do not despair, this will soon change .

Now for my dilemma, I had thought that DH would order the New York Strip Steak so I had planned to order the restaurant's other Signature entree, Potato-wrapped Red Snapper. With his surprise choice of the fish, I had to make a quick decision and I think I might have made a mistake. For my entree, I had the Char-crusted Certified Black Angus New York Strip Steak served with Heirloom Beans, Roasted Parsnips, Celery Root, Rainbow Carrots, and Fingerling Potatoes, with a Classic Sauce Foyot. At the time, this steak seemed pretty good but there will be two better steaks yet to come. Stay tuned to find out where .

Char-crusted Certified Black Angus New York Strip Steak





After late afternoon F & W booth snacking, crab cakes, and our entrees, we were pretty full at this point. DH was ready to call it a night, but I just couldn't pass up getting at least one dessert at our first Signature dinner of the trip. So I ordered the restaurant's Signature dessert for us to share, Caramelized Banana Napoleon - phyllo, banana mousse, creme caramel, exotic fruit coulis and bitter chocolate. Unfortunately this dessert didn't taste quite as good as it looked. I guess I was expecting to be "wowed" since it was the Signature dessert, but sadly I was not. Perhaps we were just too full to fully appreciate it?

Caramelized Banana Napoleon





Along with our dessert, DH had a cup of Decaffinated coffee and I had a Cappuccino. The cappuccino was very good but the biscotti that was served with it were rock hard, even after dipping them in the cappuccino.

Cappuccino and biscotti




Since this is one of his pet peeves, DH wanted me to add to this review that this restaurant is noisy. To help convince him to do the DeLuxe Dining Plan with 6 Signature Restaurants for our trip, I had told him that I had heard that the Signature Restaurants tended to be quieter and more relaxed. Well, that wasn't the case at the Flying Fish. Although our meal was served at a very relaxed pace (lasting nearly 2 hours), the restaurant was very noisy...especially considering the time that we were there (9:00 - 11:00 p.m.). I wonder what the noise level is doing prime dinner hours when the restaurant is full .

So, all in all, Flying Fish wasn't a bad start to our week of DeLuxe Disney Dining. Since the Boardwalk Inn seems to be our favorite resort, we will probably return here sometime. However, next time I'm determined to try the Red Snapper. Hopefully they will still have it.

Now for the numbers...

Total cost of meal (not including tip) - $136.62 (or $34.16 per Dining Plan credit)

And so I can do a DDP vs. TIW Cost Comparison at the end...

Total cost of meal (not including tip) if we had used my Tables in Wonderland discount of 20% instead of the DDP - $109.30


4 DeLuxe Dining Plan Credits used, 26 Remaining

NEXT UP: Our First F & W Culinary Demonstration

 

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CULINARY DEMONSTRATION by RJ COOPER
of Pigtails Restaurant, McLean, VA


This was our 3rd Food & Wine Festival (last time 2007), but the first one without the kids. So this time around, I wanted to do some things that previously we were unable to do...i.e. Culinary Demonstrations and Beverage Seminars. Initially I purchased tickets online for one demo and two seminars, using my Annual Pass to receive a discount of $2 per ticket. So the tickets for the Culinary Demo we attended were $7 each and the Beverage Seminars were $6 each. Not a bad deal, considering the prices of the food and beverages from the booths.

Having done my research here on the DIS, I knew we needed to pick up our tickets at the Festival Welcome Center on the morning of the demo we were attending. This was a very easy process. There was a desk set up just to the left of the entrance, which was manned by two CMs. I told them my name, showed them my ID, and initialed their list to indicate I had picked up my tickets. Then it was off to World Showcase to meet up with my BIL (a Florida resident who was joining us for the day) and to await the opening of the booths. We returned about 15 minutes before our demo was scheduled
to begin, which was 3:00. Several people were already in line to enter the area where the demos are held. We joined the line and waited for them to begin letting people in. This didn't happen until 3:00 though. Everyone was allowed to choose their seats and the three of us sat at a table up front, but to the far left side. We were pleased with our seats.



OK, now for the review...

I had chosen this demo because DH is a big fan of pork and for this demo Chef Cooper was preparing Pork Chops with Barberry Compote. The demo began immediately with the MC, Pam Smith, introducing our award-winning chef from the Washington D.C. area, RJ Cooper. After talking with him for a bit she then introduced Randy Ford of King Estate Winery, as our pork chops were going to be paired with a wine from this winery, King Estate Signature Pinot Noir. He spoke for a few minutes regarding his winery in Oregon and his wines, both the Pinot Noir that we would be tasting and the Pinot Gris.

Randy Ford, Pam Smith, and Chef RJ Cooper

Chef Cooper then worked his magic and soon we were served this...

Pork Chop with Barberry Compote paired with King Estate Signature Pinot Noir


The pork chop was delicious! Even though we had spent the last 4 hours snacking around the F & W booths, we somehow found enough room in our stomachs to devour these. Generally I prefer white wines over red, but the King Estate Pinot Noir went perfectly with this dish.


So our first Culinary Demonstration was a huge success! In fact, we liked it so much that we ended up purchasing tickets the next day for another one.

Next up: Dinner at Artist Point

 

[athenna]

I'm in!

 

[jabead]

I'm in!

Thanks for joining in, athenna! I'll try to get the Artist Point review written and posted tonight so stay tuned.

 

[jabead]

Dinner at ARTIST POINT

Highlights – Personalized Anniversary Menus, Candlelit Dessert, and Complimentary Dessert Wine to Celebrate our Anniversary. Also Soup, Salmon, Sweet Potato Gratin, Great Service, and Quiet Restaurant.

Disappointments – Beef Tenderloin & Mashed Potatoes, Dessert

Would we Return? – Probably


Using BIL’s car, we drove to Wilderness Lodge and parked there. We then took the bus to Magic Kingdom to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and the fireworks, which were at 8:00. We watched the fireworks from the upper-level of the train station. This was not the best in-park view, but it allowed for a quick exit from the park as soon as the fireworks were over. This strategy worked perfectly, as we were on the first Wilderness Lodge bus (even had a seat) leaving the park and arrived at the lodge by 8:30. Our ADR at Artist Point wasn’t until 9:15 though, so we killed some time by sitting in the rocking chairs in front of the fireplace in the lobby. We were getting tired and a little bit hungry, so decided to check and see if we could be seated ½ hour early. Since the restaurant was not busy, they seated us immediately.

The hostess presented DH and I with anniversary menus, personalized this time. As soon as we were seated, we noticed that very few tables in the restaurant were occupied. This made for a quiet dinner (which made DH happy) with a very attentive server. For his appetizer, DH had the Dungeness Crab Cake with Meyer Lemon Aioli and Mache Lettuce. This was pretty good, however not nearly as good as the one from Flying Fish. After carefully perusing the menu (who am I kidding, I knew what I was going to order a long time ago thanks to the DIS) , I had the Smokey Portobello Soup with Roasted Shiitakes and Chive Oil. I also had a glass of the wine that was paired with this, 14 Hands Chardonnay. The soup did not disappoint, it was very good. The chardonnay was also good and went quite well with the smokey flavor of the soup.

Smokey Portobello Soup

For our entrees, DH ordered the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Blue Lake Green Beans, and Espresso Reduction. Soon after his dinner was served, he commented that his mashed potatoes were unevenly heated...part of them were very hot, but other parts were cold . He didn't say too much about his steak, but I got to taste it and was not impressed. It was kind of tough and chewy and lacked flavor. BIL ordered the Char-grilled Buffalo Striploin Steak, which I also got to taste and preferred it over the beef one...it was more tender and flavorful. My entree was the Signature dish, Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon with Roasted Baby Fennel, Marble Potatoes, Pinot Noir Beurre Rouge, and Crispy Truffle Chips. This was delicious, the winner of the three entrees, IMHO.

Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon



Also at Artist Point, when using the Dining Plan, you are allowed an additional side dish of either Sweet Potato Gratin, Truffle Fries, or the Seasonal Vegetable. I chose the Sweet Potato-Hazelnut Gratin and it was a very large portion so I shared it with DH and BIL. We all really enjoyed it!
Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten to take a picture of it. DH went with the Seasonal Vegetable, which was a baked squash dish. He liked this, but I thought it was boring compared to the sweet potatoes. I did manage to sneak a picture of this though, as it was sitting toward my side of the table .

Baked Squash Side Dish


Again we were quite full, but I convinced the others that we could at least eat one dessert between the three of us. Once again we chose the restaurant's Signature dessert, the Artist Point Cobbler . . . Seasonal Berries, Almond Granola, and House-made Brown Sugar Ice Cream. DH also ordered coffee and I got a cappuccino with dessert. The server brought our dessert with two lit candles and complementary glasses of dessert wine for all three of us. This was a very nice gesture and a great way to end our meal. However, the dessert itself was not as good as I thought it would be. Perhaps again we were too full to appreciate it?

Artist Point Berry Cobbler



This was a very nice dinner in a quiet restaurant served at a relaxed pace (again lasting nearly two hours) by a very friendly and attentive server (named Diana, btw ) . When we left the restaurant at about 10:30 there was only one other table still occupied. Had we started our meal at our original ADR time of 9:15, we probably would have been the last ones there.



Now for the numbers...



Total cost of meal (not including tip and wine) - $138.75 (or $34.69 per Dining Plan credit)

And for the DDP vs. TIW comparison, which I will do at the end of my reviews...

Total cost of meal (not including tip and wine) had we used TIW discount - $111.00


4 DeLuxe Dining Plan Credits used, 22 Remaining

NEXT UP: Lunch at Via Napoli

 

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Lunch at VIA NAPOLI

Highlights – Pepperoni pizza, Zeppole di Caterina, Rosa Regale, Cute Italian waiter

Disappointments – Fritto Misto, Prosciutto E Melone pizza

Would we Return? – Probably

This being Veteran’s Day, I figured Epcot would be busy and made an ADR for 11:30 at Via Napoli so that we wouldn’t have to depend on F & W booths for our lunch. So we hit just a couple of the booths when they opened at 11:00 (before there were lines) and then went to Via Napoli. My BIL joined us again today, so there were three of us at this meal. When we entered the lobby to check-in it was full of people waiting to be seated. I think that the restaurant opens at 11:30 and was just beginning to seat people for lunch. We only had to wait for about 5 minutes and then we were seated at a booth. We were very close to the long table in the center of the dining room, but I was glad that we weren’t seated there. Our very cute Italian server then came by our table to take our drink orders, which we all ordered cokes.

And now for the food…we used 2 meal credits and had more food than the three of us could eat. Rather than ordering two individual appetizers, we had the Fritto Misto - an assortment of just-fried seasonal vegetables, fish, and cheese to be shared by the table arancini, mozzarella, calamari, melanzane, asparagus, zucchini and carciofi (artichokes), Agro-Dolce sauce and Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce. This is the description from the online menus however I only recall having arancini, mozzarella, calamari, and zucchini on our platter. I’m certain there was no asparagus and there may have been melanzane (egg plant) and carciofi (artichokes) but I did not have any. Also we only had one kind of sauce, the tomato sauce. However, I just looked up the meaning of agro-dolce in Italian and it means bittersweet, so I'm thinking the Agro-Dolce and Sweet and Sour Tomato are actually referring to the same sauce. Not two different ones, as the online description implies. Anyway, this was just okay… definitely not worth $24 if paying for this OOP, IMHO.

Fritto Misto


For our entrees, we ordered two individual size pizzas, which were bigger than I thought they would be. Each one had four large slices. We each ate two slices and ended up leaving two slices uneaten. The two pizzas we chose were the Pepperoni and the Prosciutto E Melone. The Pepperoni pizza was very good with a thin, crispy crust, fresh mozzarella cheese, and lots of pepperoni. Up to that point it was the best pizza/flatbread I’d ever had at Disney World, slightly edging out the one I had at Wolfgang Puck Express last March. However, as you will see, that honor will soon belong to another .

Pepperoni pizza


On the other hand, the Prosciutto E Melone pizza was for me disappointing. I love prosciutto and melon together and had it many times during my trip to Italy last year. I can’t exactly explain why I didn’t like this pizza…I liked all of its ingredients, but all together they just didn’t seem to work for me.

Prosciutto E Melone pizza


For dessert I had the Zeppole di Catarina - ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Since I first saw this dessert on the online menus, I knew I had to have it and it did not disappoint. The fritters were so tasty that I completely forgot to take a picture. Finally, a dessert that lived up to my expectations! DH wanted something a little lighter so ordered chocolate gelato, which was just your usual chocolate-flavored gelato. Actually, I don’t remember if I even tasted it, as I was concentrating on the fritters, . Oh, and I also had a glass of one of my favorite wines, Rosa Regale, with dessert. When taking care of the check, I was told by our server that Via Napoli doesn’t offer the 20% Tables in Wonderland discount on alcohol. Since I think that Rosa Regale is well-worth the full price of $9, I didn’t question this but I thought this was kind of odd. Has anyone else been told this at Via Napoli?

So overall my first impressions of this new restaurant were pretty good. Most of my family loves Italian food (since I am ½ Italian we eat a lot of it), but after our last experience at Tutto Italia in March we had pretty much written off Italy when it came to food. Now with the addition of Via Napoli, we will probably be dining in Italy once again.


Now for the numbers...


Total cost of meal (not including tip and wine) - $87.34 (or $43.67 per Dining Plan credit)

And for the DDP vs. TIW comparison, which I will do at the end of my reviews...

Total cost of meal (not including tip and wine) had we used TIW discount - $69.87


2 DeLuxe Dining Plan Credits used, 20 Remaining

NEXT UP: MARTINI Beverage Seminar

 

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MARTINI BEVERAGE SEMINAR
Presented by Jimmy Cefalo



After lunch we stopped in at the new caramel shop in Germany. Everything looked delicious, but I was just too full to think about eating any more food or even buying it for later. My BIL, however, stopped at a couple of food booths (I have no idea where he found room for more food ) on our way toward the Festival Welcome Center for our 2:00 MARTINI Beverage Seminar. We arrived at the area (a different area than where the Culinary Demo had been held, but very close by) about 10 – 15 minutes early and got in line with the people waiting to be let in. Right at 2:00 we were allowed to enter and were guided to our seats. We noticed that the chairs were placed very close to one another…I think the term might be “packed in like sardines” . This seemed to be a popular seminar because most of the seats were full. In addition to small pours of the three wines we would be tasting, there were several pieces of marketing materials and gifts (including a 44-page Wine & Food Pairings Guide, notepad, zippered pouch, etc.) at each place setting. This being our first-ever beverage seminar, we didn’t realize that this was not the norm. Neither of the other two seminars that we would later attend had these take-home gifts. Anyway, our presenter for this MARTINI (aka Martini & Rossi here in the U.S.) seminar was Jimmy Cefalo. Yes, in case you are wondering, that is the sports broadcaster and former football player for the Miami Dolphins, Jimmy Cefalo. Coming from an Italian wine-making family, it seems he has added MARTINI Wine Ambassador to his resume.

Jimmy Cefalo




Anyway, Jimmy proceeded to tell us a little about the history of the company. How it began in Torino, Italy in 1847 as a winemaking partnership between Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi. Then in 1863, they formed the MARTINI & ROSSI company and have been making wines, aperitivos, and liqueurs ever since. Another interesting tidbit I learned is that Barcardi is the U.S. distributor of MARTINI products. So add this to their long list of well-known booze, like Barcardi Rum, Grey Goose Vodka, and Dewar’s Scotch Whiskey to name a few. Also, he explained that the company name, MARTINI, is capitalized in order to distinguish it from the drink known as a martini. In addition to telling us about the wines we would be tasting, Jimmy also talked about MARTINI’s other products, such as vermouth. Not being a vermouth drinker, I had no idea that MARTINI Vermouth was the number one selling vermouth both in the U.S. and the world.

Ok, now for the wine tasting. We began with the driest of the three wines, Prosecco, which is shown on the left in the picture below. I thought this one was okay…as I said in my F & W booth reviews, I seem to prefer the Fantinel Prosecco from the Italy booth over the MARTINI one. Next tasted was the Sparkling Rose shown in the middle. This one (according to the numbers he gave us regarding the sugar content) was 3 times as sweet as the Prosecco. Consequently, I liked this one better…probably 3 times better . Last but not least, we had the Asti, which is the number one-selling imported sparkling wine in the U.S. we were told. This one was very sweet…twice as sweet as the Sparkling Rose. Now we’re talking!!! I know all of you true wine connoisseurs out there are probably shaking your heads in disgust right about now , but I do like the sweet wines (accept for ice wines apparently…that one from Canada was just too sweet) and I really liked this one. I haven’t had Martini & Rossi Asti (or as I remember it, Asti Spumante) in several years. I may just have to buy a bottle for the holidays… in addition to my favorite sweet sparkling wine, Rosa Regale, of course .

MARTINI Prosecco, Sparkling Rose, and Asti wines




Oh, and I almost forgot, Jimmy told us that beginning this month, MARTINI will be launching their first television ad campaign here in the U.S. in 25 years. So it seems we will again be seeing TV ads with bottles of MARTINI & ROSSI Asti being uncorked, just in time for the holiday season. Does anyone else remember the ad from the early ‘80s with Angie Dickinson and Burt Bachrach? I wonder what the new ads will be like? Has anyone seen one yet?

So in conclusion, we all enjoyed this seminar…very informative and with some tasty wines. IMHO, it was a bargain at the discounted price of $6, but would have also been well-worth the full price of $8. Jimmy Cefalo seemed very comfortable speaking in front of an audience. He was both interesting (seemed very knowledgeable about wines) and funny, making him a good presenter and spokesperson for the MARTINI company.


NEXT UP: Kent Rathbun Culinary Demonstration

 

[amandadisney]

Just joining in.

I LOVE sweet wines, (aka I can't drink any wine that isn't sweet), so thanks for posting about the MARTINI seminar as I learned a lot! I have never tried ice wine though, as I usually stick to Riesling. I am going to have to try that and an Asti sparkling wine

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Thanks for the updates, especially Via Napoli...I was wondering how the appt was and glad you posted with pictures...I'm not sure if I want that Appt b/c it looks a little greasy.

 

[Schoolbread]

Fab start. The more I see and read about Via Napoli, the more I think I should give it a try. Well, maybe not the proscuitto/melon....

 

[jabead]

Just joining in.

I LOVE sweet wines, (aka I can't drink any wine that isn't sweet), so thanks for posting about the MARTINI seminar as I learned a lot! I have never tried ice wine though, as I usually stick to Riesling. I am going to have to try that and an Asti sparkling wine

Thanks for joining in Amanda! It sounds like we have similar tastes in wine, as I too like most Rieslings...especially the sweet ones like Spatlese . Sadly I didn't get to try any of the four Rieslings that they had at F & W Germany booth. The two Rieslings I did try though, Chateau des Charmes (from the Canada booth) and the Rosemount Traminer (from Australia) were pretty good though. Have you ever tried these? Another wine that I got to try for the first time on this trip was Caymus Conundrum. I had heard about it here on the DIS, so when I saw it on the wine menu at California Grill I had to try it. I liked it so much that I ordered it again the next night at Narcoossee's. I highly recommend it!

Oh, and about the ice wine...the one that I tried (first time that I've ever tried ice wine) from the Canada booth was Inniskillin Pearl Vidal. Although I didn't care for it, it seemed to be quite popular...despite the fact it was
$5.75 for a teeny, tiny glass .

 

[jabead]

Thanks for the updates, especially Via Napoli...I was wondering how the appt was and glad you posted with pictures...I'm not sure if I want that Appt b/c it looks a little greasy.

Yeah, I can't say that I would recommend the Fritto Misto unless you are on the DeLuxe Dining Plan and want to sample several of their appetizers. Otherwise, I don't think it was worth $24.

 

[jabead]

Fab start. The more I see and read about Via Napoli, the more I think I should give it a try. Well, maybe not the proscuitto/melon....

Thanks Schoolbread. And yes I think you should give Via Napoli a try. In looking back at the picture of our Prosciutto and Melon pizza, I remember what a pain it was to cut those long slices of prosciutto...very messy . That might have had something to do with the fact that I didn't like it.

 

[tinkerbell48]

Excellent

 

[jabead]

Excellent

Thanks Tinkerbell. You are leaving in just two days? I am so jealous. Have a great trip!

 

[jabead]

CULINARY DEMONSTRATION by KENT RATHBUN
of Kent Rathbun Concepts, Dallas, TX


When picking up the tickets for our 2:00 MARTINI seminar, we noticed that the chef at the 3:00 culinary demo was preparing a pork tenderloin dish. We made a quick decision to purchase tickets for the demo, and I am so glad that we did!!!

Immediately following our MARTINI seminar, we walked over to the other area (the bigger one) for the culinary demonstration. People were already seated at most of the tables; however we saw a table up front to the far left (same table as where we sat yesterday) at which there was only one woman seated. We asked if we could join her and she said, “of course.” We talked for a bit, and she seemed very nice. Imagine our surprise when she turned out to be Nancy Larkin, the representative from Bunratty Mead and Liquor Co. She was there to present Bunratty Meade, one of the two wines being paired with the pork tenderloin dish.


Now, on to our review of the demonstration…


In introducing Chef Kent Rathbun, the MC (which was again Pam Smith) told us about his company, Kent Rathbun Concepts, which owns seven restaurants in Texas. These include his world-class Dallas restaurant, Abacus, and the very popular Jasper’s restaurants (with 3 locations in Texas). Chef Rathbun has also made numerous T.V. appearances, most notably as a competitor on the Food Network show, Iron Chef. Apparently he and his brother, Kevin (also a chef), soundly defeated Bobby Flay on the show in 2008. I don’t watch Iron Chef, however I just might have to check out this episode on You Tube. Anyway, after talking with Kent Rathbun for a bit, Pam then introduced Nancy Larkin. Nancy told us just a little about Bunratty Mead and Liquor Co. of Ireland and introduced the honey wine which we would be having with the pork. I had already tried this sweet wine at the Ireland booth and thought it was pretty good. Nancy is shown in the picture below giving an Irish toast.

Nancy Larkin, Pam Smith, and Kent Rathbun





Then it was time for Chef Rathbun to prepare his dish, Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Chipotle-Corn Mash with Texas Peach Barbeque Sauce. During his presentation, Chef Rathbun mentioned that he had recently released a collection of sauces, dressings, spices and marinades (all designed with the at-home cook in mind) called Kent Rathbun Elements. Two of these products were used on the pork before grilling, the KRE Family Barbeque Rub and KRE Steak and Chop Garlic Salt. Then before serving, the meat was brushed with KRE Texas Peach Barbeque Sauce, and a dollop of this yummy sauce was placed on top. So here is the finished product…

Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Chipotle-Corn Mash with Texas Peach Barbeque Sauce, paired with Ravenswood Zinfandel (left) and Bunratty Meade (right).




OMG, this was incredibly delicious! Somehow this pork dish managed to outdo the one from yesterday’s demo. And the corn mash which accompanied the pork was wonderful. I was a little afraid that the chipotle peppers in this side dish would make it too spicy, but this was perfect and went so very well with the pork. The one thing that I didn’t care for was the second wine that was paired with this dish, Ravenswood Zinfandel. As I’ve said previously, I’m not generally a fan of red wines, and this one was no exception. This wine to me seemed quite robust and actually overpowered the wonderful flavors of the pork and corn mash. So for me anyway (and almost all the others seated at our table, including Nancy Larkin of course ), the Bunratty honey wine was the better of the two wines paired with our dish.

So that completes another outstanding culinary demonstration… this one even outshined the one from yesterday! I would have to say that this was one of my favorite dishes of the trip and for $9 it was truly a bargain. If anyone is interested in the recipe, I would be happy to share it…just let me know. Oh, and the spices, rubs, sauces etc. are all available for purchase online at www.kentrathbunstore.com. I have a niece who lives in Austin, TX so the next time we visit I hope to check out the Jasper’s restaurant located there. Have any of you Texans tried it or any of the other Kent Rathbun restaurants? I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.


NEXT UP: Yachtman's Steakhouse

 

[jabead]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jabead
Thanks Nicki! I've been trying to keep up on your live report. You've been to some of the same places...even on the same nights I think. We were at La Hacienda for dinner on Monday, Nov. 14. Weren't you there that night?
Oh, and Happy Anniversary to you too!

Yup we were at La Hacienda around 6:30 or so.

Thank you for the anniversary wishes.

Cannot wait to hear what you thing about LH and the rest of your dining stuff

Oops my bad, I just realized that Monday was actually the 15th not the 14th. So I guess we weren't at La Hacienda on the same night as you and Todd, but the next night (Monday, the 15th). We were however at Narcoossee's on the same night, Saturday the 13th, along with a lot of other people (including ChefMickey123). It was really busy there that night . Our ADR was for 8:25 but we asked if we could wait for a table by the window, so we weren't seated until nearly 9:15.

Oh, and btw, except for the appetizer, I was very pleased with our dinner at La Hacienda. It was the last meal of our trip and I think a pretty good ending. I especially liked watching Illuminations from there. Since you were there at 6:30, I'm guessing you weren't still there for Illuminations at 9:00?

 

[jabead]

Although Disney food or booze is not directly involved (I think I might have been snacking on a German apple strudel though ), the Eat to the Beat concerts are a part of the Food & Wine Festival. Therefore, I decided to include them in my Dining Review.

EAT TO THE BEAT CONCERT - RICK SPRINGFIELD

Paging Dr. Drake...Dr. Noah Drake
Please report to the American Gardens Theatre, STAT!



Before returning to our room at the BWI to change for our dinner at YSH, we decided to stop by the American Gardens Theatre to catch Rick Springfield’s first show of the evening. We arrived about 15 - 20 minutes before the show was to start and it was standing room only. On Tuesday night we had seen the last Hanson concert and were able to get a seat (albeit it in the back row) just 5 minutes before starting time. We weren’t so lucky this time . Another comparison to the Hanson concert was that this crowd, in general, seemed older than the Hanson one. Also, even though we had seats at the Hanson show, that didn’t mean we got to use them because as soon as it started almost everyone stood up and remained standing throughout the concert. So in order to actually see the band, we too had to stand for at least part of the show…I finally got tired of standing and sat down for the last song or two. Anyway, with the crowd being older at the Rick Springfield show, they (for the most part) remained seated throughout the concert…except of course in the SRO section that we were in where there were no seats to sit in ). From our distant viewpoint, Rick Springfield looked pretty much the same as he did in the early ‘80s when he played Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. It’s probably been 10 years since I’ve watched the show, but since seeing the concert I have been told that Rick again appeared as Dr. Drake a few years ago. I wish I would have known, as I may have tuned in for an episode or two to see him. Anyway, getting back to the concert…Rick performed only a few songs (maybe four?), including his two hits, “Jessie’s Girl” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers.” During one of his songs, he walked down several of the audience rows; greeting his fans and having them sing a line from the song. When Rick returned to the stage, he brought with him several cute kids from the audience and after talking with them for a bit; he had them help him sing “Don’t Talk to Strangers.”

And here he is...

Rick Springfield (Sorry that the pic is not better, but we were pretty far away from the stage )



So in summary, although I got a kick out of seeing “Noah Drake” again (brought back some fond memories of watching General Hospital with my college roommates) and hearing him sing “Jessie’s Girl”, this was probably my least favorite Eat to the Beat concert of the three which we attended. Stay tuned for my favorite concert of the week.

Oh, and btw, during this concert I was texting back and forth with my 21 year old daughter. Although she was very familiar with Hanson (as she had danced to their songs at her Junior High dances), she had never heard of Rick Springfield. When I mentioned his hit song, “Jessie’s Girl”, she said, “You mean that “Glee” song?” So kudos to the TV show “Glee” for reintroducing old songs like “Jessie’s Girl” to a new generation. And speaking of their tributes to old ‘70s and ‘80s songs/movies, did anyone see the “Rocky Horror Glee Show” episode last month? I loved it! Some great memories were brought back with that one.

So,... “Let’s do the Time Warp Dance”

Oops, sorry to get so far off topic. I'll get back to 2010 and my Yachtsman Steakhouse review shortly, I promise .

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Great update, Can't wait to read Yatchman's.

 

[butiflfeet]

Great reviews! I'm looking forward to your Dining Plan vs. TIW conclusion!