American Food???

[BuzzBiteyear]

I agree mountdew. I was just going to post that for many young US visitors, World Showcase is not what they may like.

For my 4 y/o:

Canada - no CS
UK - might eat the fish
France - well, he'd eat the desserts
Morocco - no way
Japan - nope
Italy - no CS
China - nope
Germany - only the pretzel
Norway - again, the desserts
Mexico - nope

At least at this point, the above definitely won't apply for the 1 y/o. He's more like myself, somewhat adventurous with food, unlike the 4 y/o and DW. Heck, the 1 y/o was hitting my arm wanting more, when I let him try my saurkraut.

 

[littlewitch34]

My father and I discussed this while hiding out from the rain in WS China over the summer! I think it makes us look bad! Every other country in the Showcase has a nice restaurant, and then there's us with our CS burgers and chicken strips.

The American Pavilion totally needs a better restaurant! I like the idea of a truck stop themed place with regional comfort foods. That way everyone can still find what they want to eat, but it looks nicer than just the regular CS bacon burger.

 

[bigAWL]

Maybe it's the time of year, but I just had a vision of a restaurant serving nothing but traditional Thanksgiving dinners. Roasted turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatos, green bean casserole, etc, etc, etc. It should be served family style or possibly on a buffet.

It could maybe be turned into a counter service place with a combo menu where you can choose the meat (turkey, ham, or something tofu-ey for vegetarians) and five small sides (with a dozen or two to choose from), and if you wanted more stuffing, you could get two portions of it instead of a fifth side. Or a lighter side of the menu might include typical Thanksgiving leftovers, like turkey sandwiches or turkey and cranberry salad.

And in the corner they could have a TV showing football games.

 

[Eljay]

Maybe it's the time of year, but I just had a vision of a restaurant serving nothing but traditional Thanksgiving dinners.

And in the corner they could have a TV showing football games.

I'm picturing a row of Lazy Boy recliners with sleeping men!

 

[BuzzBiteyear]

Maybe it's the time of year, but I just had a vision of a restaurant serving nothing but traditional Thanksgiving dinners. Roasted turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatos, green bean casserole, etc, etc, etc. It should be served family style or possibly on a buffet.

It could maybe be turned into a counter service place with a combo menu where you can choose the meat (turkey, ham, or something tofu-ey for vegetarians) and five small sides (with a dozen or two to choose from), and if you wanted more stuffing, you could get two portions of it instead of a fifth side. Or a lighter side of the menu might include typical Thanksgiving leftovers, like turkey sandwiches or turkey and cranberry salad.

And in the corner they could have a TV showing football games.

I'm picturing a row of Lazy Boy recliners with sleeping men!

At first I was going to comment, that this sounds like a CS Liberty Tree Tavern. But with that last line, I'm there, and ready to snore!

 

[FireDancer]

There are a couple of options I wouldn’t mind. One would be to do a setup like the Pepper Markey only each station would have a regional theme. You could have a north east station, southern station, midwest station, pacific northeast station and a southwest station. Something like that.

The other think which would not really match the colonial theme in substance but can me themed to match is a good coffee shop. With the coffee culture that has popped up here over the last decade and the lack of good coffee at WDW a coffee house with sandwiches and real coffee could be done.

What I would really like to see is the first option in the American pavilion and a real Italian coffee stand by the Italian pavilion.

 

[Eljay]

All great observations.
I would very much like to hear from our non-American readers.
What would you folks from around the world like to have for a restaurant in the American pavilion?
Are you disappointed with what's there?

 

[Smile4Me]

Anyone from the US or not can get the same things they serve at the American pavilion almost anywhere else on Disney property, so it would make more sense to offer fare that is unique to the US, and unique to the location in the WS.

 

[koolaidmoms]

For the less adventurous eaters how about having a good NYC hot dog cart outside of the AA and turning the restaurant and a CS Regional Market themed?

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

All great observations.
I would very much like to hear from our non-American readers.
What would you folks from around the world like to have for a restaurant in the American pavilion?
Are you disappointed with what's there?

A couple of Canadians here:

We think that the American Pavillion is pretty disappointing overall. The only thing that we would bother with again there is the Voices of Liberty. They were phenomenal. I couldn't imagine anyone eating there with all the other wonderful WS options right at your finger tips. I think they need a nice table service restaurant and I would love to see the focus be on Southern Food. It's truly, uniquely American and extremely tasty.

 

[Eljay]

A couple of Canadians here:

We think that the American Pavillion is pretty disappointing overall. The only thing that we would bother with again there is the Voices of Liberty. They were phenomenal. I couldn't imagine anyone eating there with all the other wonderful WS options right at your finger tips. I think they need a nice table service restaurant and I would love to see the focus be on Southern Food. It's truly, uniquely American and extremely tasty.

I kind of thought that would be the impression.
Thanks for responding!
Great suggestion about the Southern food.
I'd just like to see very little deep-fried food, as much of the Southern food is!

 

[Shelton123]

Being a foodie, I can't help but be disappointed by the sad offerings at Epcot's American pavilion.
Can't they do better than burgers, hotdogs, turkey legs, funnel cakes or chicken strips?

I'd love to see an awesome restaurant in Epcot, that would make us American food lovers proud, like the California Grill. Even the MK has the Liberty Tree Tavern, if you are looking for good old American meat & potatoes. Even a great barbeque restaurant would be nice.

Anybody have any good ideas for a really good representation of American food?
Canada has the steakhouse, Coral Reef has the seafood.
Maybe a menu with selections from all over America would be nice.

Philly Cheese Steaks come to mind! I would love it if they had those. Mesquite Grilled Georgia Peach Shrimp are also what comes to mind when I think of "American food that's not fast food". Although I wouldn't expect them to have the latter.

 

[PJAY]

What about an across America restaurant - NE Clam Chowder, Peach Cobbler, BBQ, Southwest, Louisianna Creole, Avacado Salads and sandwhiches, salmon. I see big old American cars (like Sci-Fi) with maps on the walls and ceilings, car license plates and state flags. Or little themed rooms - The Northeast, the South, the Southwest, west and Middle American rooms. Each decorated to be from those areas. There are tons of things.

I would eat there for sure!

 

[BuzzBiteyear]

For the less adventurous eaters how about having a good NYC hot dog cart outside of the AA and turning the restaurant and a CS Regional Market themed?

That gives me a great idea.

Have a hog dog stand with the regional variations of the hot dog:

• New York - saurkraut, deli mustard
• Chicago - onion, sweet relish, sport peppers, dill pickle, tomato, yellow mustard, celery salt, poppy bun
• Midwest Coney - beanless chili, mustard, onion, steamed bun
• Cincinnati - Cincinnati-style chili, fine shredded mild cheddar, yellow mustard, onion (there is a difference between the two coneys, Cincinnati-style chili is a bit sweet, as it has some chocolate)
• Kansas City - saurkraut, melted swiss
• Savannah - coleslaw, yellow mustard
• Carolina - mustard, onion, coleslaw, chili
• Pittsburgh - shredded lettuce, diced tomato, dry coleslaw, provolone, hoagie bun

I like the truckstop idea. You have to have variety for a US restaurant. Just so many food variations from region to region. Remember the first time we went to Disney and the waitresses at each restaurant would ask if we wanted grits. None of us kids at the time knew what the heck they were talking about.

 

[secretpantssam]

This post is making me hungry!!

 

[lilybrooke14]

Frankly, I think they should have two separate restaurants. One signature and one regular one. The truck stop is a great idea. All the ones I grew up going to always had an amazing chicken fried steak, (I haven't seen that on a menu in years) and they served breakfast all day (I didn't realize biscuits and gravy was a southern thing until I moved out of the south). Oh yeah, and some sweet tea. As for the signature? I've had some amazing venison dishes, and they serve a buffalo steak at Artist Point (right?) so it's not an entirely foreign idea already. Pheasant is great too. I've had alligator several times when traveling through Louisiana, and it's soooo good. There's so much they could do, I just think the chicken strips and hamburgers alone are pretty lame.

 

[BuzzBiteyear]

Frankly, I think they should have two separate restaurants. One signature and one regular one. The truck stop is a great idea. All the ones I grew up going to always had an amazing chicken fried steak, (I haven't seen that on a menu in years) and they served breakfast all day (I didn't realize biscuits and gravy was a southern thing until I moved out of the south). Oh yeah, and some sweet tea. As for the signature? I've had some amazing venison dishes, and they serve a buffalo steak at Artist Point (right?) so it's not an entirely foreign idea already. Pheasant is great too. I've had alligator several times when traveling through Louisiana, and it's soooo good. There's so much they could do, I just think the chicken strips and hamburgers alone are pretty lame.

Come to the midwest, chicken fried steak and biscuits & gravy are on about every non-chain restaurant's menu here.

 

[Eljay]

That gives me a great idea.

Have a hog dog stand with the regional variations of the hot dog:

• New York - saurkraut, deli mustard
• Chicago - onion, sweet relish, sport peppers, dill pickle, tomato, yellow mustard, celery salt, poppy bun
• Midwest Coney - beanless chili, mustard, onion, steamed bun
• Cincinnati - Cincinnati-style chili, fine shredded mild cheddar, yellow mustard, onion (there is a difference between the two coneys, Cincinnati-style chili is a bit sweet, as it has some chocolate)
• Kansas City - saurkraut, melted swiss
• Savannah - coleslaw, yellow mustard
• Carolina - mustard, onion, coleslaw, chili
• Pittsburgh - shredded lettuce, diced tomato, dry coleslaw, provolone, hoagie bun

I am crazy about this concept! It would be so easy to create! They could put it in one of the little houses that they use for the Food & Wine fest!

I love the American Adventure show and I love the Voices of Liberty. Pretty much everything else needs re-thinking. The gift shop (where almost everything is made in China) and the food options are, well, not so good.

 

[Tomh]

How about the Coney Island corn dog, or a good NY style pizza (OK, I'm partial to NY), Philly Cheese Steak, some good southern Crab Cakes, BBQ, there are so many options. Plenty of Sea Food dishes to choose from for New England, Key Lime Pie. I agree, the offerings in the American Pavilion are just cafeteria. They might be fine for feeding the kids on the run, but they should have perhaps a TS that does a better job of representing the US. Heck, even the CS should have more choices.

 

[KEHCharleston]

That gives me a great idea.

Have a hog dog stand with the regional variations of the hot dog:

• New York - saurkraut, deli mustard
• Chicago - onion, sweet relish, sport peppers, dill pickle, tomato, yellow mustard, celery salt, poppy bun
• Midwest Coney - beanless chili, mustard, onion, steamed bun
• Cincinnati - Cincinnati-style chili, fine shredded mild cheddar, yellow mustard, onion (there is a difference between the two coneys, Cincinnati-style chili is a bit sweet, as it has some chocolate)
• Kansas City - saurkraut, melted swiss
• Savannah - coleslaw, yellow mustard
• Carolina - mustard, onion, coleslaw, chili
• Pittsburgh - shredded lettuce, diced tomato, dry coleslaw, provolone, hoagie bun

Excellent idea,(though we need a west coast variation - westies?)
Apple pie for desert of course.

Hot dogs and apple pie, can't get much more American than that
Perhaps there could be an underlay of a baseball theme.