2008 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Reviews

[redzinner]

The Nuvo sounds like something I'd like. Keeping a few notes of things we want to try...where can we find this at F&W?

You can find Nuvo at the Les Vins des Chefs de France which is a little kiosk across from the Chefs de France Restaurant. ENJOY!

Nuvo is available all year at that kiosk in Epcot, not just during F&W.

 

[shovan]

Did anyone else attend the French Regional Lunch on the 26th with Sparr wines? I can't find my menu & they kept refilling the wine glasses, so I can't remember what everything was.

 

[jams001]

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[TinkerBelle_325]

ATHENS

Greek Salad

Spanikopita

KRAKOW

Kielbasa and Pierogies

MONTREAL

Cheddar Cheese Soup
Maple Glazed Salmon
Moosehead Beer

ISTANBUL

Manti
Meze

SAN FRANCISCO

Strawberry Shortcake

LYON

Pomegranate Kir, Mumm Champagne, Grand Marnier Slushie & Milk Chocolate Creme Brulee

Escargot en Brioche
Goat Cheese & Leek Tart

LAFAYETTE

Praline Bread Pudding

CORK

Cheese Plate
Potato & Leek Soup
Boxty with Kerrygold Butter

BOLOGNA

Baked Ziti & Marscapone Creme Puff with Chocolate

THE MOUSE CATCH

Asiago, Manchego & Dorothea

SANTIAGO

Spicy Beef Empanada

MEXICO CITY

Quesadilla con Chorizo

Capriotada

CAPE TOWN

Spice Cake with Chocolate Sauce & Toasted Coconut

BARCELONA

Churro with Chocolate Sauce

MELBOURNE

Lamb Chop with Caramelized Onion Jam

Pepperberry Prawns

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

TOKYO

California Roll
Spicy Tuna Roll

WELLINGTON

Lamb Slider
Kiwi Meringue Tart

MARRAKESH

Brewat

Kefta

Baklava

 

[Krissalee]

The menu was:

Amuse Bouche
Kona Kampachi with Edamame Puree, Crispy-Aromatic Salad and Miso Vinaigrette, Dungeness Crab Custard Baked in an Egg Shell with Fresh King Crab paired with Dom Perignon Brut 1999



Blood Orange Gateau with Exotic Fruits and Pomegranate Air paired with Dom Perignon Brut 1999

That is pretty wild that they started the meal and ended the meal with the same wine! Shows the versatility!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Wow! Everything looks so good. I wish I were back at F&W. I see from your pics there were some things I missed at the booths like the Kiwi lime tart. That would have been interesting. Oh well...next time. Great pics!

 

[Candice30]

thanks for the photos. i had so much fun stopping at all the booths. YUMMY!

 

[betterlatethannever]

As this year's F&W festival is winding down, Allears.net has an interview with Nora Carey (WDW Project Manager for the F&W festival) here

"Next year," Carey added, revealing that the Bocuse D'Or will return in 2009, "people will know better what it's all about and we'll add more seating capacity for more guests to watch the daily competition."

So, we can start planning now.

Ed

 

[Inkmahm]

As this year's F&W festival is winding down, Allears.net has an interview with Nora Carey (WDW Project Manager for the F&W festival) here



So, we can start planning now.

Ed

I'm guessing it will be that first weekend again, but will we really know much in advance?

This was our first time at F&W and my DH and I really enjoyed it. Our original plans were to skip next year as we used our alloted F&W festival DVC points for a trip to DL next August instead. But after actually attending, we're splitting our points from 2010 with 2009 so that we can go again in both October 2009 AND 2010. We'll just have to live with a studio for the two trips instead of a one bedroom in 2010 alone. I think it is worth it.

We will probably attend PFTS again as we enjoyed that quite a bit. I think we'll skip the Sweet Sunday event though. It was okay, but we really don't make desserts much so the time spent learning how to create what we were eating was a bit long. Maybe next year we'll be able to try some other events instead.

 

[ElizabethB]

"We need to find ways to service more guests, while still keeping the events entertaining and informative and giving good value."

Great -- more cocktail party events.

Sigh.

 

[betterlatethannever]

...We also attended the City Taste of Puglia. ... we have no idea what we drank or ate. ...

We also were at the Puglia City Taste. Below is the "Program". I had to wait for my wife to traslate her handwriting . Each color was a different area of Italy. (and as usual, if there any spelling mistakes, you can blame my wife

City Taste Italy Friday October 31,2008

Piemonte
1. Andrea Fregnan, Italian Culinary Institute For Foreigners
Featuring Risotto with Spinach and Gorgonzola Cheese
2. Andrea Fregnan, Italian Culinary Institute For Foreigners
Featuring Stuffed Zucchini Flowers with Cheese Fondue and White Truffle Oil
3.Andrea Fregnan, Italian Culinary Institute For Foreigners
Featuring Rack of Lamb Crusted with Hazelnuts, Thyme-Scented Vegetables

Wine- Azienda Agricola Sordo Giovanni
Featuring Rapuje Langhe Rosso
Rapuje Langhe Bianco
Nebbiolo Rose Brut
Barolo DOCG (* this wine didn’t arrive at the function)
Prosecco Di Valdobbiadene DOC (*this wine didn’t arrive at the function)
Barbera Di Alba (This wine was substituted for the missing wines)

Toscana
1. Ettore Silvestri, Ristorante Casa Mia
Featuring Traditional Tuscan Beef Stew
Featuring Grandmother Argia’s Bean Soup
2. Ettore Silvestri, Ristorante Casa Mia
Featuring Pasta with Sienna-Style Pesto and Cured Ham

Wine- Brunelli
Featuring Rosso Di Mostalcino 2006
Brunello Di Mostalcino 2003
Poggio Apricale 2005

Wine- Tenuta Di Pomine
Featuring Le Ribotte, Bianco Toscana 2007
Ledo 2006
Chianti Di Pomine 2007
Sensoria, Chianti Riserva 2006
Rosato Toscano 2007

Veneto
1. Paolo Piovan, Ristorante Boccadoro – Noventa Padovana
Featuring “Drunken” Hen Ragout with Tagliatelle
2. Paolo Piovan, Ristorante Boccadoro – Noventa Padovana
Featuring Traditional Cookies (Biscotti)

Wine- Veneto & Piemonte Martini & Rossi
Featuring Martini & Rossi Prosecco, Veneto
Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante, Piedmont
Campania
1. Peppe Aversa, Ristorante “Il Buca” Di Sorrento
Featuring Steamed Sea Bass with Potatoes and String Beans, Mediterranean Sauce
2. Peppe Aversa, Ristorante “Il Buca” Di Sorrento
Featuring Grognano-Style Pasta with Red Snapper and Cherry Tomatoes
3. Peppe Aversa, Ristorante “Il Buca” Di Sorrento
Featuring Spelt and Bean Soup with Spicy Sausage and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Wine- Azienda Agricola De Cicco Vinzenzo
Featuring Taburna Falanghina
Sannio Fiano 2007
Taburno Greco 2007

Puglia
1. Captain of the Apulian Chefs Team – Domenico Maggi
Chef De Cuisine – Mauro Pansini
Executive Chef – Michel Memeo
Chef De Cuisine – Corrado Di Virgilio
Featuring Toasted Italian Bread with Tomatoes and Rocket
Bread Pizza Apulian-Style
Apulian Zucchini Frittata
2. Captain of the Apulian Chefs Team (same chefs as above)
Featuring Wheat Grain with Vegetables and Seafood Salad, Fava Bean Sauce
3. Cheese Maker – Riccardo Olanda
Featuring Mozzarella Cheese Demonstration
4. Captain of the Apulian Chefs Team (same chefs previously listed)
Featuring Orecchiette Pasta Demonstration
5. Guiseppe Palmisano, Patry Chef, Puglia Regional Team
Featuring Almond Custard with Moscato Di Trani Sauce anfd Vincotto

Wine- Tenuta Cocevola
Featuring Vandalo, Nero Di Troia, 2005
Rosso Cocevola, 2006
Tre Erre
Featuring Piana Padula Primitivo, 2006
Piana Padula Chardonnay, 2007
Azienda Agricola Franco Di Filippo
Featuring Moscato Di Trani DOC

I didn't know what to expect regarding the food. I am assuming it was authentic Italian food because none of the dishes had red sauce on it.

It was a nice event but IMO, the Australian City Taste was better.

I was surprised that there wasn't a program for this event. After reading about the program for the Spain City Taste, I was really expecting one for Italy. (I had throught they listened to me complaining the week before about no program ) There has to be a file on Excel or Access listing all the chefs, food, wineries,and wines (it had to be used to make the signs. I don't think they sent a bunch of post-it notes to the printer with the information). Just print out a couple hundred copies

Ed

 

[disneynutz]

This was our first PFTS and our last.

I have never been surrounded by such a rude group of people in my life. We are really dismayed that Disney, who is so good at crowd control would continue to let people behave so poorly.

We had read reports here on the DIS about the problems waiting to enter the $135 event but we thought that they were exaggerated or that Disney would have modified their procedures by now. Sadly nothing had changed.

We arrived an hour early and we were about fifteen people from the first door. As 6 O'Clock drew closer, people began cutting in to be with their friends. By 6 O'Clock there were 100 people in front of us and we were breathing down the neck of the person in front of us.

When the doors opened, people pushed and ran to the plate and glass tables. As the crowed moved left to the row of tables the surge of bodies pushed me to the right, further from the tables. My DW was caught in the middle of the sea of bodies and told me to go ahead and she would get our plates and glasses. All around me people were yelling at each other and every so often I would hear the sound of a wine glass breaking as it fell to the ground.

I moved forward to another holding area for a 30 minute wait. I never found my DW and in a few minutes we were packed in again like sardines.

When the curtains opened, people pushed forward and ran to claim their table(s). I went all the way to the rear of the venue hoping to find an available table. The only one empty was a high topper. A Security Guard was standing by the table and I mentioned that I wasn't real happy. She was very nice and stated that the employees had reported that the lack of control was an accident waiting to happen. She said that management doesn't listen to Cast Members at her level.

She said that some Guests organize runners to run ahead and claim tables before others can get there. She said that there had been several arguments between Guests so Disney added additional security to keep the peace.

My DW finally found me and said that she wasn't in the mood to stay and eat. We discussed the fact that the worst was behind us so we might as well give it a try.

The food and wine were very good. Not worth $135 per person, but very good none the less.

Here is a important item for others who would like to give PFTS a try next year. DO NOT ATTEND the last night. One of the Managers told us that a convention group and guests of the Chiefs had been given VIP free passes for the last night. She said that the additional people had added to the stampede and caused an additional shortage of tables. She said that free access to friends and family is common on the last date of the event.

 

[RachelTori]

That is just sad disneynutz.

The rudeness I experienced 4 years ago is a big part of why I haven't done the PFTS since.

Was there at least enough food and wine -- or were they running out of things because of all the "free access"?

 

[oybolshoi]

One thing that does annoy me about PFTS is when they do run out of something.

We attended on 10/11 and when the hubby and I first entered the venue we saw the Banfi table and made a mental note to go back and get some Rosa Regale once we started in on the dessert items. Unfortunately at 8PM when we went for the Rosa it was already gone.

That's ridiculous ... why should we have to rush the table as soon as the event starts to get a glass of Rosa? They should bring enough to last the evening or they shouldn't offer it at all. And it's not like Rosa Regale is that expensive ... at $20 per bottle it's affordably priced and it's not an exclusive item the way that something like Utopias is.

I don't get it.

 

[disneynutz]

That is just sad disneynutz.

The rudeness I experienced 4 years ago is a big part of why I haven't done the PFTS since.

Was there at least enough food and wine -- or were they running out of things because of all the "free access"?

I don't think that they ran out. We didn't stay to the end. The dish with the lobster and the scallop dish were the most popular. The line for each was constantly 30 people deep.

I was surprised that children were admitted. Most were well behaved but a few were running around acting as kids do. The event was not kid friendly and it should be adults only.

 

[TroyE]

As much as I love kids I would not like them to be able to attend events like this. It takes away from the whole atmosphere. I would be watching the kids run around instead of enjoying myself.

I don't think that they ran out. We didn't stay to the end. The dish with the lobster and the scallop dish were the most popular. The line for each was constantly 30 people deep.

I was surprised that children were admitted. Most were well behaved but a few were running around acting as kids do. The event was not kid friendly and it should be adults only.

 

[ElizabethB]

We respect to PFTS, we Just Say No (and have for years). We went once, never again.

 

[webray]

I was surprised that children were admitted. Most were well behaved but a few were running around acting as kids do. The event was not kid friendly and it should be adults only.

We totally agree with this. There were kids the night we went also, rolling around the floor, bored to death. Kids should not be allowed into any of the special events as far as we are concerned. It is just no place for them at all.

 

[oybolshoi]

We saw kids at our PFTS, too, including one woman with a baby in a stroller.

At first I thought that she might be the wife of one of the featured chefs, but she was waiting outside the world showcase with the rest of us and I doubt that would be the case for family attending the event.

Jay said it best, "if you can afford to attend PFTS you can afford a babysitter for a few hours."

I don't have an issue with teenagers being there, but the kids we saw were all very young and were obviously bored. I felt bad for them.