2008 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Reviews

[kathyg]

TDC Nala....WOW!!!!! Incredible pictures! Looks like you had some great times.

 

[dizneykid]

Wow, Nala - great pictures.

The French Regional Lunch looks wonderful. Did you like doing this one?

 

[TDC Nala]

Wow, Nala - great pictures.

The French Regional Lunch looks wonderful. Did you like doing this one?

I didn't take pictures of the wines. One wine looks pretty much like another wine. There were four wines, they were all very good (one was excellent, the other two ladies in my party agreed) and they refilled your glass as much as you liked. Yes, I'd recommend the French lunch.

I don't tend to say whether the food was good or not. If I thought it was good someone else usually comes along and says "I thought it tasted like asphalt."

Oh and I should probably apologize for the bite taken out of the pistachio ice cream.

 

[fwm]

I didn't take pictures of the wines. One wine looks pretty much like another wine. There were four wines, they were all very good (one was excellent, the other two ladies in my party agreed) and they refilled your glass as much as you liked. Yes, I'd recommend the French lunch.

I don't tend to say whether the food was good or not. If I thought it was good someone else usually comes along and says "I thought it tasted like asphalt."

Oh and I should probably apologize for the bite taken out of the pistachio ice cream.

Can you tell me how people dreesed for the French Regional lunch. Thanks.

 

[TDC Nala]

Can you tell me how people dreesed for the French Regional lunch. Thanks.

Park attire.

 

[ghidorah97]

Great pics, great review! Everything looks fantastic.

That French Regional Lunch looked like a major winner! What did Rock Harper prepare?

Thanks for sharing!

Brad

 

[TDC Nala]

Great pics, great review! Everything looks fantastic.

That French Regional Lunch looked like a major winner! What did Rock Harper prepare?

Thanks for sharing!

Brad

Rock did scallops and gnocchi in a mushroom cream sauce (and it had a lot of parmesan cheese on it). I forgot to photograph it before eating it.

 

[TreesyB]

Is that Rock Harper of Hell's Kitchen Fame? Sorry for my ignorance.

 

[TDC Nala]

Is that Rock Harper of Hell's Kitchen Fame? Sorry for my ignorance.

Yes, that's him. Although I had never heard of him before I took that picture.

 

[Inkmahm]

Anyone go to the Party for the Senses last night? How was it?

 

[snappy]

Just back, and wanted to post about our experience at the PFTS. We had an absolutely wonderful time. The food was fantastic, we enjoyed sampling some really nice wines and champagne, and we especially appreciated the opportunities to have a quick visit with the chefs. Rock Harper, Tory McPhail, and Nicky Reimer were particularly fun. I also had a quick visit with Cathy Haynes-enjoyed chatting a bit about Vegas with her.

FWIW, please know we're not big table squatters. I was a little concerned that there might not be places for us to have a quick bite and then move on, but it was just fine. Those that were determined to hang onto the low tables (and save empty chairs) were able to, but there were lots of very nice folks who were doing just what we were doing-enjoying some delicious food, sharing a table and a visit, and then moving on.

I wasn't there for a mini Cirque show...so for me it was just fine that the performers were off to the side. Music was good, and it was also quite helpful that there was plenty of hardworking, enthusiastic waitstaff. They were very good about clearing all the dirty dishes away quickly.

It was a great night for us both, and we wouldn't hesitate to book a Party for the Senses in the Future.

Speaking of Tory McPhail from Commander's Palace in New Orleans, my husband and I attended the first Kitchen Conversations on 10/2/08. He was the guest chef and the food. . .a duck offering with a savory bread pudding was divine. He had prepared food for 100 and there were only 30 attendees so we were treated to an enormous "sampling". It was the most generous meal we had all week, served up on tableclothed tables with fun Halloween decorations, and a great local beer-Abita. McPhail cooked up on a stage and all of it was filmed and shown on 2 large flat screens so you could clearly see the steps. He is very personable and it was delight to here his life story and cooking approach.

It was great. If we return to F&W, we will do another Kitchen Conversations. It exceeded my expectation by far. We chose this one as Commanders is and always has been our favorite restaurant for special occasions. It is rebuilt from Being damaged after Katrina and better than ever, thank goodness.

 

[Sandy321]

Is that Rock Harper of Hell's Kitchen Fame? Sorry for my ignorance.

GREAT catch!! Good show!!

Thanks for the pictures and the reviews, we've only done PFTS, now I'm thinking this may be a great alternative!! Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

Should say I thought the food was great at the French Regional but the lecture/presentation left much to be desired. Although after the second glass of the second wine no one much cared about the presentation.

 

[girli565]

Nala, that all looked amazing!! I'm so jealous!

 

[NejTheLion]

Should say I thought the food was great at the French Regional but the lecture/presentation left much to be desired. Although after the second glass of the second wine no one much cared about the presentation.

Question for you:

How would you say the $135 3-course French Regional lunch compares with the $55 3-course Food & Wine Pairings (either from this year or previous years)?

It looks like the portion size at the French lunch is more of a full course, whereas the Food & Wine Pairings are more like tastings. I would also assume the quality of the food and wine are better. Do you think the two events are priced appropriately in comparison? Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

Question for you:

How would you say the $135 3-course French Regional lunch compares with the $55 3-course Food & Wine Pairings (either from this year or previous years)?

It looks like the portion size at the French lunch is more of a full course, whereas the Food & Wine Pairings are more like tastings. I would also assume the quality of the food and wine are better. Do you think the two events are priced appropriately in comparison? Thanks!

The lunch was full courses. I don't know about a comparison. I am not going to any pairings this year so I don't know what they're like or if they're worth $55. In previous years they didn't cost that much.

I thought the pairings were nice last year but they were not a full meal.

I did do the Bistro pairing last year and there was no comparison. They served only cold meats and cheeses and not much of each, and tastes of wine. Of course there isn't any Bistro pairing this year.

I can't remember the cost for the wine school at Bistro last year but the cost was similar and the lunch was similar. The wine school lasted all day and featured 18 wines to taste. This was a lunch with four wines, but as much of those four as you wanted. I would guess the wine school was a better value, but then they don't exist in that form anymore. Value didn't enter into my choices for the food and wine festival this year. Everything is overpriced. And there were so few events for my times that interested me I just signed up for whatever I thought was interesting.

 

[chickapin]

Chilaquiles from Mexico - delicious!

Capirotada from Mexico - yummy!

Pot stickers from China - ok, but not as good as last year

Plum wine green tea cooler from China - absolutely disgusting. Last year they were great and DH and I were really looking forward to them again...We each got one but immediately regretted it. Tasted kind of like rice wine vinegar and sweet and sour sauce over ice. It was thick! I wonder if we got a bad batch? Anyone else try this recently?

Durban spiced chicken from South Africa - Awesome

Spice cake with chocolate sauce from South Africa - Delicious! But I didn't really taste spices - just chocolate

Wattleseed mousse from Australia - Very good

Pepperberry prawns from Australia - Good, probably won't get it again though

Apple strudel from Germany - good, nothing special

Sausage and sauerkraut on a pretzel roll from Germany - love this!!

Potato leek soup w/ cheese crisp from Ireland - DH loved it, I thought it was good.

Crab cake and Sam Adams Octoberfest from Boston - OK crab cake, good beer

Seared beef medallion w/ cheddar cheese polenta from San Fran - OMG amazing - the beef was medium to medium rare and tender and flavorful. Totally awesome.

Chocolate creme brulee from France - was just ok. It wasn't firmly set, kinda squishy.

The Canadian trifecta - Soup, salmon and maple custard - totally awesome! They only give you about half the amount of soup that we got from Ireland though.

Kielbasa and pierogie from Poland - pretty good

Pastelon de Amarillo from Puerto Rico - interesting

 

[redzinner]

Wattleseed mousse from Australia - Very good

Thanks chickapin!
Your snapshots were great foodie pics! I hadn't seen the 'wattleseed' mousse yet. Very interesting looking. What is the flavor of a wattleseed?

 

[MinnesotaChill]

I can't remember the exact flavor of wattleseed, but I remember that all four of us thought it might be very closely related to our poppy seeds. The size and texture was the same, but the flavor of the dessert was different than anything I'd ever had with poppy seeds. Could just be the other flavors we tasted. It was over a week ago so I can't remember specifics, but we liked it.

That should make it clear as mud for you!

 

[redzinner]

That should make it clear as mud for you!

As long as it doesn't taste like mud, I'll give it a try! Thanks.