almost LIVE - 12th Anniversary and F&W Fest - updated 10/24

[Krissalee]

I am going to try to attempt a live trip report! Right now I have the best of intentions, but we will see! I have the batteries charged in my camera, plus a spare set and I plan to go photo crazy! I tend to be shy, but this report is ending all of that!

The last dining report I remember doing on the DIS boards was pre-digital, so no photos! It must have been in 1999 or 2001 (I have kept all my personal itineraries from 2002 on, and it must have been before that). Posting photos is a new experience for me, but I did watch the DIS tutorial and have visited the test board!

Who we are and a little about us, plus a photo of us at Kouzzina in January 2010:

Me: Krissy – 37 years old

DH: Craig – 40 years old

I was to WDW several times as a child, and loved it. I went once or twice during my college years with friends. I introduced my DH to WDW right around the time we were married, give or take a year. He agreed to go, but was rather ambivalent. Within an hour of arriving at Epcot, he called his parents (from a phone booth in the UK – pre cell phone days) and asked why they had never brought him there as a kid!

We starting going to WDW nearly every year, and found our favorite time of year – October! Our wedding anniversary is in October and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is also in October! We can celebrate ourselves, plus indulge in amazing food and wine at the same time! A tradition was born!

We started going to WDW for 7-10 days in October and it was amazing. Eventually we decided to purchase an interest in DVC at BWV, which really works well for us. Unfortunately, our October vacations have changed a bit, since I went back to grad school part time at night. Luckily, we were able to schedule a 5 night stay that fit into my school schedule, encompassed our 12th Anniversary, and included lots of great F&W Events!

So I planned and planned. I waited for the F&W calendar came out, and planned around that. Luckily, I got a lot of great events planned!

Here is our itinerary:

10/20/10
Early flight
Lunch – Epcot F&W Festival Booths - Page 1, Post 8 & Page 1, Post 13
Dinner – Raglan Road - Page 2, Post 18

10/21/10
Lunch – 50’s Primetime Café - P.2., Post 19
Dinner – F&W Festival Event – Signature Dinner at California Grill - p.2., post 20

10/22/10
Brunch - F&W Festival Event – Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen with Andrew Zimmern - P.2, post 27
Dinner – Kona Café -Cancelled
Dinner - Cosmic Ray's @ Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party - P. 2, Post 30

10/23/10
Lunch – Yak and Yeti - p.3, post 31
Dinner – F&W Festival Event – Party for the Senses

10/24/10 Our 12th Anniversary!
Brunch – F&W Festival Event – Sweet Sundays
Culinary Demonstration with Robert Irvine
Wine Seminar with La Crema winery
Dinner – Citrico’s

10/25/10
Lunch – Somewhere in DTD (WPE?)
Return to NJ

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

count me in and can't wait to start reading yummy reviews...

 

[ghidorah97]

I'm in...and Happy Anniversary!

 

[vettegirl]

Sounds like a great lineup

 

[MickeyNicki]

Count me in, I love a live review! Have a great time and Happy Anniversary!!

 

[butiflfeet]

Have a wonderful anniversary trip! I'm sure I will be enjoying your reviews

 

[Krissalee]

Thanks for joining in all of you. The first installment should be up soon. It took so long to upload the photos!

 

[Krissalee]

Day 1, Part 1 – Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Lunch - Eating Around the World Showcase

Today was a great start to our vacation! Our flight left Atlantic City @ 6:38AM, and we landed at MCO @ 8:55AM. We met out town car driver and our bag was the first off the luggage carousel. After a quick grocery stop at Publix to buy breakfast supplies for our room, we checked in at SSR. Our room was not yet ready, so we stored our luggage and headed to Epcot!

We arrived at Epcot by 11AM. Our primary intention of this day’s visit to Epcot was to graze around the World Showcase at the food booths. We did some damage – we ate (and drank) a lot! We didn’t make it to all the booths, we skipped a few here and there, but we made it all the way around. We shared all the samples.

After a quick turn around the Festival Center, we hit the WS! WE went in a counter-clockwise direction.

First stop, 15 Beers for 15 Years. Craig got a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, something he is familiar with and knows he likes.

New Zealand – We had the Seared Scallop and the Lamb Slider, plus a glass of the Villa Maria Private Bin Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc. Both samples were good, but the scallop was the winner of the two.

Charcuterie & Cheese - We shared the Charcuterie Plate and the Pinot Noir. This was OK – I’m on the fence with most smoked foods, but I wanted to try the smoked duck.

Ireland – The Lobster and Scallop Fisherman’s Pie was one of our favorites of the samples. Craig got a Guinness – his favorite.

France – Escargot (when anything has that much butter and garlic, it has to be good!) I got Parisian Cosmo Slush. I try to stay away from fruity drinks where you can’t tell how much booze is in it – they get me in trouble! This was nice, sweet, and refreshing, but I limited it to one!

Belgium – We had the Steamed Mussels in Roasted Garlic Cream and a Hoegaarden Beer. The mussels were good and tender and the cream sauce was nice, if a little thick.

Japan – Tuna Sensation – I dug in a little before I remembered a photo. This was excellent, raw tuna, avocado and a nice sesame soy sauce.

Australia – Grilled Lamb chop with roasted potato salad and red wine reduction, plus the Penfolds Koonuga Hill Shiraz Cabernet. I didn’t like the potatoes, but Craig enjoyed it. I am not a big fan of lamb, but enjoyed the bite I had.

United States – Bison Chili. This was OK. I had just made a big pot of chili before we left for vacation, and Craig claims the one I made was a million times better.

Hops and Barley – We found a picnic table in the shade near the American Pavilion and I enjoyed a Sam Adams 15th Anniversary Coastal Wheat Festival Beer while Craig Had the Latitude 48IPA. We had actually each ordered the other’s drink, but switched when we tasted them and realized we each preferred the others.

Well, that gets us halfway around the WS! More to come...

 

[vllygrrl]

Fantastic! DH and I will be there in 2 weeks, celebrating our 10th anniversary, so thank you for posting these pics!

Off topic, but I see you're a fellow Jersey girl - flying out of AC is sooo much better than Newark or Philly! I'm totally jealous, because DH hates to fly so we're driving down this trip and taking the auto train home...

 

[kayrosek]

Wonderful reviews so far. DH and I our celebrating our anniversary at WDW next year. DH is like your husband was a little unsure about it. We have only gone one other time, with the kids last year and his foot was broken and he diden't have the greatest time so he doesn't understand what I fell in love with. I'm hoping this time changes his mind.

 

[Krissalee]

Fantastic! DH and I will be there in 2 weeks, celebrating our 10th anniversary, so thank you for posting these pics!

Off topic, but I see you're a fellow Jersey girl - flying out of AC is sooo much better than Newark or Philly! I'm totally jealous, because DH hates to fly so we're driving down this trip and taking the auto train home...

Congrats on your Anniversary and have a fun trip!

I agree that AC is the easiest airport to fly in and out from - we always fly from AC for the past few years.

 

[Krissalee]

Wonderful reviews so far. DH and I our celebrating our anniversary at WDW next year. DH is like your husband was a little unsure about it. We have only gone one other time, with the kids last year and his foot was broken and he diden't have the greatest time so he doesn't understand what I fell in love with. I'm hoping this time changes his mind.

Thanks!

Hopefully next trip will be better for your DH and he can get hooked too!

 

[Krissalee]

Day 1, Part 2 – Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Lunch - Eating Around the World Showcase (Continued)

Brewer’s Collection – We relaxed here with another beer. A Schofferhofer Weizen for me and a Hovels for Craig.

Singapore – Coconut braised beef Rendang with Jasmine Rice. I didn’t like this at all. I didn’t like the coconut flavor and the texture bothered me. It didn’t look appealing, either. Surprisingly, Craig, who does not like coconut, enjoyed this and polished it off!

South Africa – Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Poteau puree and Mango BBQ Sauce with La Capra Pinotage – Our piece of beef was tender, but was way over-sauced!

South Korea – We chose two dishes here, both the lettuce wraps with roast pork and kimchi slaw and the BBQ short rib with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi. Both of these dishes packed some heat! We liked them both.

Poland – Golabki –Pork Stuffed Cabbage. Craig ate most of this, but I did have a bite. He liked it. Not the prettiest dish.

Argentina – Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree. This was one of our favorites. The beef was tender and the herbs in the chimichurri sauce were so fresh.

Puerto Rico – Medianoche Sandwich. I really enjoyed this, as did Craig. I have recently started enjoying Cuban style sandwiches, so this was a nice taste.

Chile – Shrimp Ceviche and the Sauvignon Blanc. Not my favorite dish, but it did taste fresh and refreshing. A good way to end our noshing around the world.

It may seem like we ate a lot, but we were at a pretty comfortable level when we finished. We spent 4-5 hours taking our time and having a bit here and there. Sometimes we moved on quickly, and other times we sat and relaxed for a bit. Over all, this was a really fun day and a great way to spend out first afternoon. Plus, I am glad I planned this for a weekday rather than a weekend, because the booths had little to no lines. We were able to relax and take in the WS atmosphere while enjoying our food and drink.

Up next – Dinner at Raglan Road

 

[mimi'sgirl]

Hi..loving your report. Can't wait to hear about the brunch with Andrew Zimmern. We would have loved to attend this event but we won't be down til next week. Ahhh..our first festival beer by this time next week. Enjoy and thanks for doing a live report.

 

[mch04049]

Great pictures of the food. Can't wait to go in two weeks. Wasn't sure of the food but looks pretty good.

 

[Krissalee]

Hi..loving your report. Can't wait to hear about the brunch with Andrew Zimmern. We would have loved to attend this event but we won't be down til next week. Ahhh..our first festival beer by this time next week. Enjoy and thanks for doing a live report.

I'm looking forward to this event too - will post photos!
Plus, there is nothing like that first Festival beer; as you can see it was our first stop!

 

[Krissalee]

Great pictures of the food. Can't wait to go in two weeks. Wasn't sure of the food but looks pretty good.

Thanks! I was wondering how the photos would look - my camera has a "gourmet" setting and this is the first I've tried it. In person, most of the food looked pretty appetizing, with a few exceptions.

 

[Krissalee]

Day 1, Part 3 – Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Dinner - Raglan Road

After our around the world feast, we returned to out room to relax for a few hours before our 8:30PM ADR at Raglan Road. We arrived at about 8PM, were given a buzzer and were told that we would probably need to wait until our ADR time.

No problem! We headed to the bar, ordered a Guinness for Craig and a Harp for me, and no sooner did our drinks arrive did our buzzer go off! I went to find the hostess while Craig settled the bar bill.

Cheers!

We were seated in a back room area of the restaurant. We could clearly hear the entertainers but couldn’t see them from where we were, which is fine because we have sat up close and personal to the stage in the past and that is way too loud for us.

We shared an appetizer - Heaven on Earth (baby back ribs in a Guinness and honey glaze). These were tasty with a very sweet glaze – the glaze is very similar to the Guinness and balsamic reduction that is provided with the Irish soda bread. Note: I didn’t take any photos of the bread.

I had the Pie in the Sky (chicken and wild mushroom pie served with a (non-NASA) rocket lettuce salad). This was good, but not what I was expecting. I thought the chicken and mushroom would be in a creamier sauce, but the dish was on a base of mashed potatoes, which I don’t really enjoy. I always go with either the Fish N Chips or the Salmon of Knowledge, but wanted to try something else. I wouldn't order this again.

Craig got the Lamby – I can’t find a description in the on-line menus, but it was a braised lamb shank with mashed potatoes and some kind of green vegetable. He really enjoyed it and often orders a lamb shank dish if there is one on the menu.

We shared dessert - Strawberry & Apple Crumble - fresh strawberries and apples in a tart with berry compote and vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious!

Coming up…
On Thursday we had lunch at 50's Primetime Cafe and dinner was the F&W Signature dinner at California Grille – 7 amazing courses!

 

[Krissalee]

Day 2, Part 1 – Thursday, October 21, 2010
Lunch – 50’s Primetime Café

We arrived right on time for our 11:50AM ADR and were seated almost immediately. Aunt Elaine was our server and while she didn’t engage in any of the antics, she was super friendly, chatty and personable.

I had Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken with a vanilla coke.

Craig had Dad's Traditional Meatloaf with a Heineken.

We shared dessert – Apple cobbler ala mode!

 

[Krissalee]

Day 2, Part 2 - Thursday, October 21, 2010
Dinner – Signature Dinner at California Grill

This was a specialty dinner for the Food and Wine Festival. Seven amazing courses! I am just going to list the menu with the wine pairings and post photos without my comments, because they would all have the same captions (Amazing! Delicious! Delectable!) I thought everything was spectacular!

Reception
Spicy Fried Duck Pot Stickers with Sticky Asian Glaze
Balsamic Onion and Black Mission Fig Tarts with “burnt” Caveman Blue Cheese
Roast Suckling Pig “Tacos” with Avocado and Margarita Crème Fraiche
Dungeness Crab Cakes with Spiced Remoulade and Piquillo Puree
“J” Vineyards Brut Rose Sparkling, RRV

(No photos – sorry)

First Course
Seafood Consommé with Pacific Whitefish Mousseline, Herbs de Provence, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Vegetable Foam
Michel Redde, Sancerre 2008

Second Course
Seared Pacific Monchong with Roasted Artichokes, Oven-dried Kalamata Olives, Preserved Lemons, and Citrus Broth
Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2008

Third Course
Crisp Breast of Squab with Caramelized Pears, Bitter Greens, Confit, Parsnip Puree with Honey-Vanilla Vinaigrette and Squab Reduction
Rochioli Pinot Noir, RRV 2008

Intermezzo
Yuzu Sorbet with Concord Grape “Jello”

Fifth Course
Salt Seared Waygu Beef over Heirloom Squash Risotto, Oxtail Jus, and Roasted Blufoot Chanterelles
Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2006
vs.
Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville 2004

Fromage Course
Hard, Soft and Crunchy
Royal Tokaji Aszu Essencia, Tokaji Hungary 1993

Seventh Course
Tanzanian Chocolate-Espresso Soufflé presented with a warm Honey and Lavender Crème Anglaise and Marcona Almond Brittle
Warres 1966 Vintage Porto, Portugal

Coffee, Tea​