9 days of gluttony! A (no longer) *LIVE* dining report 8/31 - 9/8 ***COMPLETE 2/28, Lunch at The Plaza***

[hereforthechurros]

I love that by my count your Homecomin meal alone contained nine biscuits!

Hope you had a great rest of your trip, looking forward to reading the rest!

 

[suse66]

I am absolutely loving your report! I am in awe of the amount of food you ordered........Disney portions are so rich and filling. On our very first trip in 2009, my DH and I decided that being full wasn't descriptive enough....we were "Disney full". You know the moment where you think that quite possibly you may never need to eat again in your lifetime?? So kudos to you two for the strength to keep going! Looking forward to reading more!

 

[primalJ]

At Topolinos did they let you know about ordering any amount of entress, or did yo ask?
thanks

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

At Topolinos did they let you know about ordering any amount of entress, or did yo ask?
thanks

We had to ask. And our server seemed like she wasn't sure but she'd see what she could do. It turned out to not be a problem for us, but I have read reports of people being denied, so make sure to check with your server.

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

I'm so sorry for the long delay! Getting back into the groove of normal everyday family life has been all-consuming. Today is the first moment of calm I've had since we returned . So... let's jump back into it:

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After our gluttonous over indulgence at Homecomin', I didn't manage to eat anything else for the rest of the day. Not even a bite of the prized Hummingbird Cake (spoiler alert: I finally took a few bites for breakfast on the morning we checked out. It was great, but I'm sure it would have been better fresh. I'll definitely try it again next time!)

When we got up on Sunday morning, I felt much better, so we decided to head to EPCOT for some Food and Wine. When we got there, we discovered that the park was PACKED. Unfortunately, physical distancing was not being observed and there were lots of people walking/eating/drinking without masks on. I am perpetually immunocompromised, and this made me slightly uncomfortable, so we decided to find a reservation and eat at a restaurant instead. When we opened the app, Eric was very excited to see an opening at Beaches and Cream for 30 minutes later.

Beaches and Cream, take two!

I was boring and just had iced tea to drink. Eric decided to start with the Grasshopper Float:
Guinness Stout with Mint Chip Ice Cream



I didn't try this at all because I hate Mint Chip ice cream, and I'm also not a big fan of Guinness. Eric loves both, so he thoroughly enjoyed this.

For my entree, I chose to have the
Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch Chicken Sandwich
with Sautéed Onion, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Multigrain Bun



The sandwich was great, exactly what I wanted. Nicely seasoned, grilled chicken, topped with garlic ranch sauce and garnished with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. The bun was toasted and held up well to the sandwich. Also, as you can see, the Onion rings were not overcooked this time! Overall, this was a very satisfying lunch.

Eric was very excited to have another chance to eat here, and he took full advantage of that! He ordered:

Angus Beef Burger
with Cheddar, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Freshly Baked Bun.



His burger came hot, fresh, and perfectly cooked to his liking - a tiny bit of pink in the center - and juicy. His tots were salty and delicious, much better than the fries he had the first time.

Bowl of Chili
topped with Cheese and Green Onions



The man has never met a bowl of chili that he didn't love, and this was no different. I had a bite, but I didn't think it was particularly special.

But wait folks... Eric's not done ordering yet. He was bummed that we hadn't gotten the full experience last time, so he also ordered:

Cheese and Bacon Tots
Tots with Cheese Sauce, Bacon, Red Onions, and Garlic-Peppercorn Ranch



Y-U-M! The garlic peppercorn ranch and onions made a huge difference in this dish! I planned to only eat a couple, but I landed up mowing through about half. Whoops!

I was too full to order my own dessert, so Eric chose something that he knew we'd both enjoy:

No Way José
A Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge delight featuring Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Morsels, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry



When this beauty showed up, I really regretted eating so many of those bacon, cheese tots. It was chocolatey, peanut buttery, ice cream perfection! I had a handful of bites, and really wanted more, but I really just couldn't. Eric ate about half before he tapped out as well.

We really enjoyed our relaxed lunch at Beaches and Cream. An added bonus was that while we were inside, the sky opened up and it poured rain. When we got back to EPCOT, the park was significantly less crowded, so we were able to stay and enjoy!



Hmm, looking at the receipt now, I have no idea what the $6.00 single cup was. Oh well, too late to worry about it now .

Up next: a little snacking at Epcot. Yes, seriously.

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

After making our way back to EPCOT, we strolled around a bit, did a bit of shopping, and went on a couple rides. When we'd finally digested enough to have a bit of space in our tummies, we decided to check out a few Food and Wine booths.

First up was a Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pop with crumbled Twix. Sorry, no receipt on this one - looking online, it looks like it was $4.



I expected to love this, but I just didn't. The cake inside was very flavorless and dry and crumbly and it all kind of fell apart when I took the first bite. Eric also took a small bite, then it went into the trash can.

We decided to head over to Mexico for my other two must-dos. Along the way, we popped in to the Odyssey Center to have a look at the Epcot Experience. Eric wanted a beverage, so he ordered the Ciderboys Strawberry Magic Hard Cider.



This was really refreshing. Delightfully sweet without being overwhelming or cloying.

Moving right along, we made it to Mexico and got a Ribeye Taco (ribeye steak with ranchera salsa in a corn tortilla topped with onions, chives, and a line wedge) and a Pork Tostada (fried corn tortilla topped with Chipotle black beans, roasted pork, fresh salsa Verde, onions, and cilantro).



A funny incident (well funny now anyway), after we got our food, we were heading toward an empty table. Another couple of people saw us and started RUNNING to beat us to the table. When they got to the table, one of them started glaring at us and the other was smirking. It was very odd. In the moment, it annoyed me because they didn't have any food with them and they were just so rude. It landed up working out well for us because we actually found another table up near the Mexico pavilion that was comfortably in the shade.

Both of the food items were delicious, with the sight edge given to the Tostada.

Moving on, we were ready to have a break from our masks, so we stopped in at the Relaxation Station at the Norway Pavilion. It started raining quite hard again, so we were lucky to be in a covered area with a comfortable table. Eric was in the mood for a frozen drink, so when there was a lull in the rain, I went over to the little kiosk and got:



I recall that I didn't care for the frozen drink very much, but I don't remember why. Maybe it was because it was $18. Not really, there was something about the flavor that I didn't enjoy. Eric, on the other hand, loved it.

This was the first day of having School Bread back, and it was also our first time trying it. Delicious!! Sweet and creamy, but not overly sweet. Very satisfying.

Eric had one thing left on his list of must dos: Warm Raclette Swiss cheese with Alpine ham, baby potatoes, cornichons, and baguette from the Alps.



He really enjoyed this. I had a small bite and it was fantastic. I especially loved the ham.

At this point, we elected to stop snacking so that we had a chance at enjoying our reservation at Via Napoli later on the evening. It started raining quite hard again, so we found shelter and just enjoyed people watching while we waited out the storm.

Up next: Dinner at Via Napoli

 

[DLo]

Just found your reviews. ( saw your comment on another thread ) loving your honest reviews. Looking forward to reading more. I am hoping for a Toppolino breakfast on my Dec trip . And Beaches and Cream too .

 

[DaisyNY]

Loving your report...the Warm Raclette Swiss cheese with Alpine ham is right up my alley! Yum!

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

Just found your reviews. ( saw your comment on another thread ) loving your honest reviews. Looking forward to reading more. I am hoping for a Toppolino breakfast on my Dec trip . And Beaches and Cream too .

Topolino's was one of our favorite restaurants this trip - I hope you can get a reservation for December!

Thanks for joining in!

Loving your report...the Warm Raclette Swiss cheese with Alpine ham is right up my alley! Yum!

Yes, it was fantastic!

Thanks for following along!!

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

On our first trip to Disney together in 2010, Eric and I were lucky enough to be among the first to eat at Via Napoli when it opened. Ever since then, it has been on our list of must do ADRs.

There was a short break in the rain that gave us just enough time to speed walk from our People Watching spot in the American pavilion to Italy, located just next door. When we arrived at Via Napoli, we were promptly greeted and asked if we had a reservation, as they were not accepting walk ups. We gave the hostess our name and within a couple minutes, we were escorted to our table. We were seated just inside the door from the lobby, directly under an air conditioning vent. Normally, I would have found that to be a nice surprise, however, as we were both wet from the rain, we soon found ourselves shifting around the table as much as we could in order to minimize the frigid air. We debated asking to be moved, but knowing that they were booked at capacity (not accepting walk ups), and adhering to physical distancing, we decided to just gut it out.

Because of all our snacking, we opted to forego appetizers. Eric was in need of a warm drink, so he ordered hot tea, Earl Grey. As far as I'm concerned, there is only one beverage at Via Napoli - I am obsessed with their iced tea, it has a beautiful fruity/tropical flavor to it. No pictures, because tea looks like tea .

Tonight, Eric continued his Tour de Spaghetti and Meatballs.



As you can see, this came with two large meatballs atop a nice sized dish of pasta, garnished with torn basil. He really enjoyed his dinner this night - the meatballs were perfectly cooked (I'm looking at you Tony's...), and the pasta was nicely al dente. He also liked the flavor of the sauce, and noted that it was well balanced (he dislikes too much basil or oregano in red sauce).

I stuck true to my tradition and ordered the "Individual" Pepperoni Pizza.



Now that's a true work of art - to this big girl anyway ! I love the pepperoni and how it turns into little cups when it's cooked. The center stays meaty and the edges get nice and crispy. This is easily one of my favorite pizzas that I've ever had. Even so, I can never manage to eat more than half of it . That might have something to do with having a big, sit down lunch, snacking all afternoon, and the 4+ glasses of iced tea I had... but who can know for sure . Eric was helpful and ate one slice after he'd finished his pasta.

Now, I always order dessert here, because they have another of my favorites: Coppa di Brutti ma Buoni (vanilla gelato, amarena cherries, chocolate shavings, Italian cookies ), however, my beloved "Ugly but Good" sundae was not available. Instead, our lovely - but not Italian - server brought out a complimentary dessert for our anniversary.



These were lovely little cream puff like pastries, with a nice cream inside. It was a very sweet gesture and a great way to end the meal.

Before we left, I asked our server if she could give me any information about the brand or blend of tea that they use because, as I mentioned before, I can't get enough of that stuff. She went and asked and returned to tell me that it's the same brand as the hot tea Eric was drinking - Harney & Sons. I took a picture of the package so I could order some when we got home. I still haven't done that (because life has been so busy that I forgot all about it until now), but I'm going to as soon as I finish this post!





After we paid our bill, we realized that if we hurried, we'd have time for one last ride on Spaceship Earth for this trip, so we hightailed it toward the front of the park. This turned out to be quite a bit more complicated than normal due to ALL THE WALLS! Eventually, we made it with about a minute to spare until closing time! We enjoyed Dame Judy Dench's narration, said our thank yous to the Phoenicians, smelled Rome burning, and built our future for maybe the last time , then made our way to the bus stop.

Coming up next: Two Signature restaurants in one day?? Why not! Lunch at Tiffin's, dinner at California Grill.

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

That's a serious double header coming up. Can't wait to hear about it!

 

[quietly]

Oh my gosh your next post is the exact same day we had and I’m just writing about in my dining report! Can’t wait to hear what you thought of doing Cali Grill and Tiffins in the same day too! This is an awesome report and I’m loving reading it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[kastoney]

Awesome reviews! You are really giving me all the Disney food and drink joys. You had me at not enjoying breakfast, but all the bloody marys really seal the deal ❤

We must have been to Disney around the same time in 2010 as we had gone for our anniversary in September and I recall walking up as they had just recently opened. 10 years later its still the best pizza on the planet.

 

[Jmljasmine]

You're probably wondering whether or not we actually made it to Biergarten for lunch after that ridiculously gluttonous breakfast... well wonder no more!

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We checked in for lunch at 3:00 and after just a few minutes, we were escorted into the cool dark pleasantness that is Biergarten. We were seated in the second tier, over to the right of the stage. As soon as we were seated, our server appeared with delicious pretzel bread, butter, and mustard.

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For drinks, Eric chose to have the German Beer Flight. I'll try to remember to post a picture of the detail card when I get it from him. He said he liked the dark one and the grapefruit one (sorry, I'm not really a beer person, so I'm not much of a reviewer for this one).

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I had iced tea again, but I also ordered a half liter Schofferhofer. So refreshing and delicious! I don't know how they manage to take two things I don't care for, beer and grapefruit, and turn them into the perfect drink for a summer afternoon in EPCOT. Pure magic!



Trays of food started coming out, fast and furious. First was the cold salad selection. We had Beets, Pasta Salad, Cucumber Tomato vinegar salad, and potato salad. Eric loved the beets, and I loved the cucumber salad. It had a good zing to it!

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Next was the hot food tray. I'm not really sure what specifically was on it, but it was a ton of food! There was schnitzel, meatballs, spaetzle, roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, two kinds of sausage, and sauerkraut. Everything was pretty good. The schnitzel was on the dry side, but decent. The sausages were plump and delicious, especially against the briney sauerkraut. The chicken was nicely seasoned, as were the potatoes. I think I was probably just too full from breakfast to fully enjoy this food.

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Fun fact, my husband is 1/4 German, so he was celebrating his roots.

Along with the platter of food, we received a plate with some sort of noodles, hot dogs, and the best green beans ever. Seriously, those green beans were perfect - garlicy and salty and well cooked. They were literally the only item we managed to finish.

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Our server cleared away the plates and returned with dessert. One was apple strudel, and the other had Bavarian Cheesecake topped with mixed berries, a Black Forest Roll Cake, and the oh so German: Chocolate chip cookies. We did what any self respecting gluttons would do.. we ate as much of it as we possibly could. My favorite was the cheesecake - creamy and delicious. Eric preferred the strudel. The cake and cookies were also good, but again, I think I was just too full to appreciate them fully.

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We settled the check and headed back out into the September heat. With extremely full bellies, we decided to head toward the front of the park for an afternoon break at the Polynesian, our new home for the next 8 days.

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We're scheduled to have dinner at one of our favorites this evening, Rose and Crown... but I honestly don't know if we're going to make it.

This is interesting. I think I like this better then the long buffet lines that use to be there. I think I hope it stays this way.

 

[bbn1122]

Thanks for the reviews.

 

[sarah4770]

Great report. Can’t wait to read the rest of it.

 

[Jules123]

Fantastic report

 

[purpliequeen]

I'm a huge fan of Harney & Sons tea. I've loved your reviews so far and can't wait for more!

I'll have to add Via Napoli back to my list. My parents & I tried it when it first opened, but we haven't been back since (no reason other than there's so much to try & we have to frequent our faves too). Time to bring my pizza snob husband there!

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

That's a serious double header coming up. Can't wait to hear about it!

It was quite a good (and pricey) day of eating!

Oh my gosh your next post is the exact same day we had and I’m just writing about in my dining report! Can’t wait to hear what you thought of doing Cali Grill and Tiffins in the same day too! This is an awesome report and I’m loving reading it. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much! Now that my kids are back in school, I hope to have some time to read your dining report!

Awesome reviews! You are really giving me all the Disney food and drink joys. You had me at not enjoying breakfast, but all the bloody marys really seal the deal ❤

We must have been to Disney around the same time in 2010 as we had gone for our anniversary in September and I recall walking up as they had just recently opened. 10 years later its still the best pizza on the planet.

Yay, another reluctant breakfast eater that makes up for it with alcohol!

Absolutely the best pizza!! A trip to Disney is just not complete without a visit to Via Napoli!

This is interesting. I think I like this better then the long buffet lines that use to be there. I think I hope it stays this way.

DH and I were just talking about this yesterday - we much preferred this experience at Biergarten over the pre-covid way. We also loved having our own table... nobody to give us side eye glances about how much we ate!

Thanks for the reviews.

My pleasure! Thanks for joining in!

Great report. Can’t wait to read the rest of it.

Thanks so much! Hoping to finish up in the next few days!

Fantastic report

Thank you!!

I'm a huge fan of Harney & Sons tea. I've loved your reviews so far and can't wait for more!

I'll have to add Via Napoli back to my list. My parents & I tried it when it first opened, but we haven't been back since (no reason other than there's so much to try & we have to frequent our faves too). Time to bring my pizza snob husband there!

Thanks so much!!

I had never heard of Harney & Sons before - but I'm so glad I know now! I ordered a sampler pack of their iced teas and I am loving them!!

We've tried lots of places in EPCOT, but we always seem to gravitate back to Via Napoli (and Rose and Crown) every trip.

 

[dreamin'boutdis]

I'm sorry that I disappeared, again. I started having trouble with my phone (where I have all my food pictures and dining notes). We managed to get it back up and running, long enough to get everything transferred to my new phone - so I'm hoping to finish up soon! Only a few more meals to go...