2009 Epcot Food & Wine Festival - General Reviews & Observations

[cathy0124]

Lobster Roll.. As others have said it was just Ehhh.

The Cheese Soup from Canada, The Spaaetzel from Germany, The Barrumundi from Australia, the Pierogi from Poland and the Taste of Spain were all winners for us

Soup

Spaetzel

Barumundi

Taste of Spain

Pierogi

Cathy

 

[Tatania]

Ok, I’ll post a review of Oct 3 Party for the Senses - “Celebrating Comfort Foods With A Twist”. I usually leave the reviews to those with better writing skills.

There wasn’t much comfort food IMO, or there was a heck of a lot of twist involved

The wine view room really did seem to take the crowd away. Waiting outside, there wasn’t a mass of people. The inside waiting room had a lot of four person sit down tables which people did claim, allowing us to get near the front by the curtain.

The venue was not color coordinated this year. It was geometrically arranged (square oval, etc.) So there were big geometric shapes hanging above each station.

It wasn’t very crowded. We don’t try and find a table. We don’t sit. But we could usually (60-70% of the time) find a high top table to use near each station. It was a little more challenging this year since there weren’t as many wineries as in the past. Sometimes, we would have to backtrack to a winery if we wanted to pair a wine with the food. There were 18 food stations and 11 wineries.

Band- Acts of Congress - Others have posted that this was a good band. I didn’t notice. Couldn’t even tell you what they played. I am very focused (oblivious) when it comes to food and wine

This year is the return of the programs. However, in the past, the programs, and signs at the stations, were usually 99+% accurate. This year, in one case, the winery rep took the sign listing the wines down because they were wrong. Other winery reps just said “ignore the sign” – here is what we have. A winery that was there (Hahn), wasn’t in the program (and the sign at the station had the wrong city in California).

Below is the program menu. Our rating (1-5; 5 being the greatest thing since sliced bread) is in parentheses.

P.S. You may notice that there is nothing below a 3 rating for the food. This could be because the food was pretty good, or that we were still in shock from the Jiko dinner two nights before (i.e. just about everything at the PFTS was better than Jiko).

SQUARE
Lahsen Abrache & Samad Benzari, Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant, Epcot
Tangine of Lamb (3-3.5)

Nick Pastis, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Epcot
Warm Rock Shrimp Cocktail with a Potato Bacon Frittata and Bib Lettuce Sauce (3)

Juan Serrano, Citrico’s, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Chorizo and Shrimp Ravioli with Opal Basil Cream (3.5)

Wines & Spirits
Allan Scott Family Winemakers, Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough Pinot Noir
Marlborough Riesling

Leblon Cachaca, Brazil
Brazilian Strawberry Lemonade
Caipirinha Americana

State of Jalisco, Mexico Tourism Board
Margarita

OVAL
Paige Weibley, Disney’s Water Parks
Grouper Cheek Short Stack with Red Eye Gravy (3.5-4)

Kit Miller, Tusker House Restaurant, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Spinach Lasagna Pinwheel with Lamb Sausage (4)

Jose Luis Camarillo, Mexico State of Jalisco
Beef Tenderloin with Portobello Mushroom, Goat Cheese and Tequila Sauce (4-4.5)

Desserts

Richard Ruskell, Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Dark Chocolate Crème and Espresso Caviar

Aiden Dwyer, Bakery, Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
Cookies & Cream Supreme
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
Espresso Cappuccino Lattes

Twinings Gourmet Tea Bar, Est. 1706
A variety of New and Classic Twinings Premium Teas (served hot or ice)

Wines & Spirits

Alpha Domus, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Unoaked Chardonnay
Navigator Bordeaux Blend
Voignier

Beam Global Spirits & Wines, Deerfield, Il.
Knob Creek
Maker’s Mark Manhattan

Sterling Vineyards, Mendocino, Ca.
Sterling Sauvignon Blanc Organic
Sterling Chardonnay Organic
Sterling Cabernet Sauvignon Organic

TRIANGLE
Larry Walker, Events, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Angus Beef Braised Short Rib Dumplings with a White Cheddar Corn Pudding (3-3.5)

Matt Gennuso, Chez Pascal Restaurant, Providence, RI
Slow Roasted Brined Pork Belly with Molasses Baked Beans, Brown Bread and Pickled Cabbage (3-3.5)

Bob Waggoner, Host of the PBS TV Show: U Cook with Chef Bob, Charleston, SC
Goat Cheese Mousse with Roasted Baby Golden Beets and Micro Arrugula in a Blood Orange Vinaigrette (3 – for what we ate. It didn’t look like what was described)

Charles D. Dolson IV, Magic Kingdom Park
“Denver” Lamb Ribs, Fried Potatoes and Braised Greens (3.5-4)

Desserts

Noah French, Setai Hotel, Miami, FL
New Style Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Parfait

Mustapha Khetem, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Production Bakery
Passionfruit Strawberry Short Cake

Andrea Zelen, American Brownie.com
A (huge) selection of chocolate

Wines

Hahn Family Wines, CA
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Smith/Hook Cabernet

South African Wine Export Co., South Africa
Springfield Chardonnay
Springfield Sauvignon Blanc

Hall Wines, Napa Valley, CA
Hall Sauvignon Blanc
Hall Cabernet
Mall Merlot

??? (flag shaped symbol)
Andrew Selz, Chef Selz, Inc. Spanish Fort, AL
Pacific Rim Braised Short Ribs over Wasabi Lobster Grits (4-4.5)

Pascal Oudin, Pascal’s On Ponce, Coral Gables, FL
Pan Roasted Breast of Squab “Dolce Forte” with Date Compote (4)

International Cheese Selection

Hosted by IGOURMET featuring:
Shamrock Cheddar Cheese, Manchego Cheese, Regina Blu Cheese, Provolone Piccante Cheese, Cotswold Cheese

Wines

Milbrandt Vineyards, Wahluke Slope, WA
Traditions Riesling
Tradition Merlot
Legacy Merlot

Concha Y Toro, Santiago, Chile
Marques Cabernet Sauvignon
Marques Carmenere
Casillero Sauvignon Blanc

HEXAGON
Steve Chiappetti, Viand, Chicago, IL
“Chiappetti Spaghetti “ (Stuffed Baked Spaghetti Bites) (4)

Brian Rodgers & Paul Napoli, Olivia’s Café, Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Deconstructed Venison Pot Pie with Roasted Vegetables (4)

Dominique Macquet, DOMINIQUE’S On Magazine, New Orleans, LA
Sauteed Diver Scallops on Hearts of Palm and Peeky Toe Crab Relish with Grapefruit Scotch Bonnet Mojo (3.5-4)

Mike Dillard, Walt Disney World Park Event Operations
Chile Spiced Mahi on a Warm House Made Tortilla with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and Fresh Cilantro (3.5)

Wines

Emiliana, Santiago, Chile
Natura Sauvignon Blanc
Natura Carmenere
Coyman Red Reserve Malbec

Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Wine Cellars, Finger Lakes, NY
Dr. Konstantin Frank Riesling, Dry
Riesling

STAR
Stephen Lawlor, Cape May Café, Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort
Wild Turkey and Smoked Duck White Bean Chili (3)

Josh Noid, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
“Wild’ Pig in a Blanket” (Wild Boar Tenderloin with Forest Mushrooms, Savory Pastry and Crabapple Cranberry Ketchup) (3-3.5)

International Cheese Selection

Hosted By Irish Dairy Board featuring Kerrygold Cheeses:
Dubliner Reserve Cheddar, Blarney Ivernia, Dubliner Stout and Cheddar Whiskey, Salted and Unsalted Butter

Wines & Beers

The Boston Beer Company, The Brewers of Sam Adams Beer, Boston, MA
Sam Adams Boston Lager
Sam Adams Octoberfest
Sam Adams Light

Trivento, Mendoza, Argentina
Select Torrontes
Select Malbec
Golden Reserve Malbec


Ed

Thanks so much for sharing the menu. Doesn't look like they stuck to the theme very much but it's still an interesting menu. Personally, I was really impressed with the PFTS I attended and think it's great value because you can sample and eat as much as you want - something you can't do at the signature dinners.

 

[onelilspark]

Grilled cheese with tomato soup was actually the amuse bouce in the lounge.

I agree too. I was a little disappointed that except for the amuse bouce there wasn't anything else that reminded me of comfort foods.

We did love the desserts too especially the one with peanut butter. I'd love that recipe.

I'm glad that the thing I came up with was there in some way I watch too much Top Chef

 

[NejTheLion]

There wasn’t much comfort food IMO, or there was a heck of a lot of twist involved

Everyone seems to think there wasn't much comfort food, but looking at the menu, I see a lot of things I could argue as being comfort food. And that's not even couting other cultures that might consider some of the other dishes comfort food:

Ravioli
Anything with gravy
Lasagna
Dumplings & corn pudding
Pork Belly & baked beans
Fried Potatoes & greens
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Strawberry Short Cake
More Chocolate
Ribs
Grits
Spaghetti
Pot Pie
Chili
Pigs in a blanket

Seems to me like they did a decent job of incorporating classic comfort dishes.

 

[TexDisneyMom]

We just got back and had a wonderful time. It is such a great experience. The food booths were great, and my DH enjoyed the beer passport. It did get really crowded on Saturday. I could not believe the crowds this past weekend. We usually always go either at Spring Break or July, times I consider "peak", but the crowd this weekend was similar and sometimes even seemed worse.

 

[MRYPPNS]

I thought I'd do a little cut and paste from my TR to share my pictures and mini reviews of the F&W booths. I have to say that I was way more impressed with the food this year over last year.

First stop: Argentina for Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri and Boniato Puree

The meat was good, the Chimichurri would have gone better with the dish if it was served room temp instead of cold and the Boniato Puree….that’s code for best dang mashed potatoes of the trip. I would eat this again.

Next up the Mexico stand: Tostada Pollo

Basically it was a huge chicken nacho chip….very messy to eat…not enough spice. If you bought me one I would eat it again, but I’d rather spend my money on something else….

Like this: Mousse de Pina Colada y Coco

This little dessert was so refreshing and light….really the perfect dessert for Mexican food. On top is toasted coconut which added just the right texture to the mousse. I could eat this all day long.

 

[NejTheLion]

I may have missed this somewhere along the line, but does anyone know what the procedure is for getting tickets to a demo that was not available to purchase online? Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

There is a desk in the festival center that sells tickets to demos. It is not the "information" desk that you see when you get to the bottom of the stairs. It is the little one-person desk between the stairs and the wine shop.

If the tickets were not available to purchase online, it may mean that the demo is completely sold out - were there any that were just not made available online?

 

[NejTheLion]

There is a desk in the festival center that sells tickets to demos. It is not the "information" desk that you see when you get to the bottom of the stairs. It is the little one-person desk between the stairs and the wine shop.

If the tickets were not available to purchase online, it may mean that the demo is completely sold out - were there any that were just not made available online?

Yeah, there were some from the very beginning that were not available to book online. If you go look at the online booking system now, it says for others something like "no more advance online tickets available." But for those that were not available online in the beginning, it still says "not available to purchase online." I think it was for some of the bigger named guests, like Robert Irvine. I'm not sure whether there were any like that in the first few weeks of the festival or if they were only later on, so it could be no one's experienced it yet.

 

[onelilspark]

For anyone who hasn't seen it, we'll be tweeting live this weekend from the parks! The link is below

 

[MRYPPNS]

I have no idea what this is, but the green color was cool looking.

Here you can make your own 6 pack.

I got the Caposaldo Prosecco $3.50….I didn't like it at all, but of course that didn't stop me from drinking the whole thing.

little fyi: it was filled to the brim…..I had to drink a little before I took it off the counter.

Cheese from The Mouse Catch.
I love the Dorothea (the whitest one on the bottom). I found the other two lacked much of any flavor and were too dry for me.

This is the Chicken U-somethingorother from China. Very good. The dish really needs to be paired with a side. I actually thought some French fries would be great with it.

South Africa did not disappoint again this year. This is the seared beef tenderloin with sweet potato puree and mango bbq sauce. Excellent. I only wish I had ordered 2!!!

 

[Christopher Robin 26]

My husband and I just returned from the F&W Festival and were very impressed with the food this year.

Our favorites were:

Lobster & Scallop Fishermans Pie - Ireland Delicious and we're not even big fish eaters.

Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet w/mashed potatoes - France
also delicious

Creme Brulee' - France excellent

Beef Tenderloin w/ sweet potato - S Africa very good

Kielbasa & pierogie with sauteed onions - Poland - very good the sauteed onions made the dish

Chicken Gumbo - New Orleans - very good with a little kick
Praline Bread Pudding - New Orleans - very good but not as good as the Creme Brulee'

Crab Cake w/cabbage slaw - Hops and Barley - good

Chicken Soulvaki - Greece - good - pita bread was great

Polpettini ( veal meatballs) - Italy-just ok, I make better meatballs at home


Overall, we thought everything we ate was good to excellent and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I hope future Food and Wine Festivals will be just as good.

 

[MRYPPNS]

Primivera slushie (Strawberry, Banana & Peach) Very refreshing and not overly sweet.

One of the F&W things I was looking forward to the most was the NEW Flavorhood Ice Cream Neighborhood. This was the description:

Test your "flavorology" and learn your ice cream personality among other fun activities.

This was it: a sign and ½ pints of ice cream for $3.25 and a lame mock up of an ice cream truck for kids. I hope I missed some big show because this was a big let down.

 

[Tatania]

One of the F&W things I was looking forward to the most was the NEW Flavorhood Ice Cream Neighborhood. This was the description:


This was it: a sign and ½ pints of ice cream for $3.25 and a lame mock up of an ice cream truck for kids. I hope I missed some big show because this was a big let down.

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I felt exactly the same. I was really looking forward to this from the description and all I saw was a booth selling small overpriced Edy ice cream cartons. Talk about false advertising!