Sorry for the delay in posting this!
This is my review from the Party for the Senses, October 18, 2008. There were many wines, but I have to admit, although I enjoy wine, I really am no expert, and so most of the whole ‘subtle nuance’ was lost on me. I drank some, and then I switched to beer. I did get some yummy ice wine, but when I went back, it was all gone.
The easiest way to do this is to put my comments right after the menu item – bon appétit!
Robert Irvine, Former host of Dinner: Impossible
Horseradish crusted salmon with braised endive, beet reduction
Possibly the dullest piece of fish I’ve had in some time. How he managed to get the salmon to have no flavor at all past crumbs is beyond me. And it was falling apart. The endive with beet reduction tasted like slimy dirt. And he was unpleasant, on top of it all. Quite a let down. Nice forearms, though . . .
Kit Miller, Tusker House
Pomegranate marinated quail breast with spinach and quinoa salad, roasted fresh fig
I was totally unaware that ‘pomegranate marinated’ was some sort of chef code for boiled. Fascinating. Inedible, but fascinating.
Paul Pavlovic, Biergarten
Mediterranean polenta cakes with Roquefort and figs
Ah, the first polenta dish. It tasted like, um, cold cornmeal. With cheese crumbled on top, and figs. But not in a good way.
Tami McAdam, Edible Artistry
Fragrant Pork and Prawn Yum Cha dumplings with Traditional Asian dipping sauce
I think I would have enjoyed these had they been less nasty. Salty, like the Dead Sea. And traditional asian dipping sauce, as far as I can tell, is soy sauce with salt stirred in. Using the word ‘Yum’ in the title of this dish was mean.
Guy Grossi, Grossi Florentino
Wet Roast suckling lamb with herbs, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and polenta
Nice lamb, properly cooked. And since the polenta was evidently fried in butter, I was happy. Everything is good when fried in butter.
Alphonso Walker, Artist Point
Marinated Muscovy Smoked Duck with Wild Mushroom Risotto, Port reduction
This was actually really tasty – my DS’s really liked the risotto. My duck was quacking rare, but I like it like that – it rather skeeved out one of my sibs, though.
International Cheese Selection
There was many, many cheeses. And honeycomb, and figs, and nuts – it was a buffet of little ‘doots’ of stuff to put on cheese. The cheese was good. It was cheese. Cheese is good. Except for Velveeta. But they didn’t have that kind. And I lied. Velveeta is good, too, for grilled cheese sandwiches. Mmm, cheese . . .
Kurt Fleischfresser, The Coach House
Herb seared buffalo with Red Chile Risotto cakes and Cilantro Remoulade
I like the meat very much - I didn’t try the risotto.
Nabi Saito, Tokyo Dining
Mimaki Chicken – Chicken breast roll with surimi and vegetables, demi-glace sauce
Really? Really? This was the best they could come up with? Boiled chicken wrapped around fake crab? I mean, the set up was pretty, kimonos and bowing as far as the eye could see, but, although pleasing to the eye, the dish was bland, bland, and cheap.
Andrea Born, Bakery, Hollywood Studios
Caramelized Pineapple Salsa with a coconut macaroon
Brule Pistacho cakes on Apricot confit
Chocolate Banana Cup with Salted Caramel
Three nice desserts. I heard. From my DS’s.
Noah French, Setai Hotel
Jasmine Milk-Chocolate cream with Matcha Green Tea Jaconde and 5 spice strudel
This was really, really delicious. And I’m not much of a dessert person.
A Collection of Chocolates
This made me laugh – the line was out the door for these, all night. Honestly people, it’s just chocolate. The few pieces I managed to get at the end of the night tasted just as nice as the Lindor truffles you can get at the register at
Walmart.
Jude Theriot, Author of The 100 Greatest Cajun Recipes
Pork Jambayala with Eggplant Deborah
I don’t understand jambayala – my mom used to make Rice a Roni when I was a kid, and if she had tipped a bottle of Tabasco into it, that what this reminded me of. Mushy rice with way too much spice in it. The eggplant made absolutely no impression on me. I hope this wasn't one of the 100 best.
Ernie Haverkorn, Sci-Fi Dine-In
Cumin-rubbed Ahi Tuna with Manchego Corn Cake and Six pepper relish
They can call it a corn cake all they want, but it’s POLENTA again. The ahi looked so nice before they boiled it . . . I think the heat in the frying pan was too low, but the tuna turned gray. Ick.
Wing Cheung, The Grand Hyatt
Black Currant Mousse
Tapioca Jasmine Rice Cream Brulee
Chocolate Praline Rice Krispy Crunch
More nice desserts which my DS’s tried. Nothing fabulous, just OK.
Aidan Dwyer, Bakery, Yacht and Beach Club
Spiced Chiffon Cake with Pumpkin Ice Cream and Autumn Fruits
THIS was fabulous. Really, really tasty.
Amy Malik, 33 Liberty Restaurant
Sweet Potato Panna Cotta
OK, did you ever accidently eat Crisco? Or the last time you had a cold, and tried to eat pudding or jello, but you couldn’t taste anything? Yeah, this is worse. My DS came over with a gleam in her eye, and whispered ‘I have 6 sweet potato panna cottas in my bag’ – the wine glass bag. OK, so she was going to bring them back to the room to share with my DM and DD. So we though we’d better try them, before lugging them back to Pop Century (you would have though the fact that no one stopped her from loading up her bag with little bowls of panna cotta would have been our first clue). We took some fresh ones from the table, and sat down to try them. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life, and I don’t THINK it was the wine. Truly, imagine a solid glop of absolutely no flavor at all in your mouth. Then look at your sister having the same experience. It’s a wonder we all didn’t choke. I think ‘sweet potato panna cotta’ is going into the family lexicon as ‘something so inedible as to be funny to watch someone else try’ – sort of like Beverly.
Mikko Gruenzner and Richard Smich, Disney Special Events
Country Style Pheasant Sausage, braised red cabbage and applewood bacon Pierogi, Sun-dried cherry port wine sauce
This was awful. Oh, the sausage was ok – but I’ve had better at Bob Evans. But the pierogi was a real disappointment – I LOVE pierogi, and bacon, but it was just this sad little slimy piece of dough with no love.
Dean Max, 3030 Ocean Restaurant
Georges Band confit of Swordfish, Honey pickled Eggplant, Arugula, Basil Aioli
Oh, yum! The swordfish was worth going back for more of – it was poached in olive oil, and the sauce was divine.
Javier Pareja, Special Events, Y&B
Chile and spice rubbed Rib Eye, Mofongo Cake and Spicy Carrot, Chayote and Cucumber slaw
My sisters really liked this, and I think that saying ‘mofongo’ was a big part of their enjoyment.
Albert Riviello, Le Cellier
Slow roasted pork with Calvados sauce and apple fennel slaw
Dry. And as far as I could tell, the apple fennel slaw was just apples and fennel, chiffonade. Some tough job cooking that one, let me tell you . . .
Brett Hill, Jiko
Dark spice braised short rib with truffled sweet potatoes and Tomato-date jam
Incredibly delicious – I need the recipe for this one. The short ribs were succulent, and the truffled sweet potatoes – well, they redeemed the vegetable in my eyes, after the panna cotta incident (all I have to do is THINK panna cotta, and I start giggling).
John Malik, 33 Liberty Restaurant
Crayfish Jambayala with a cheddar crouton
More overspicy mushy rice. How special. Not. I think he’s related to the panna cotta lady – remind me not to eat at their house.
Jarrod Pearman, Special Events, Boardwalk
Guava glazed pork tenderloin with Poblano Chile relish and batata mashAgain, my DS’s liked this, but I think it was because they could say ‘batata’. It’s funny – go ahead, say it yourself. See?
Christian Rumpler, Rose and Crow
Herb marinated ostrich, crispy potatoes and bacon, mushroom ragout and horseradish pesto
Way too much going on here – 3 little dices of potato fighting for plate territory with some bacon, being ambushed from behind by what appears to be a mushroom dish, with a largish flap of meant (I can only assume it’s ostrich) over the top and sauce. Almost impossible to eat without sitting down, which was, as I mentioned in the first post, a dangerous endeavor. We were actually shooed away from a table by a scary woman wielding a dish of panna cotta. We fled.
Doug Turbush, Bluepointe Restaurant
Lemongrass and Black pepper shrimp with dried mango and coriander
Too spicy for me – I took one bite and put the plate down.
Axel Martin, Coral Reef
Goat Cheese and Portobello pot stickers with sweet and sour and red pepper coulis
Lordy, this was nasty on so many levels.
And I haven’t even talked about the entertainment, although the short version is 'whatever'. Weird techo music performed by a group of guys who were trying, I think, to look remote, but ended up looking vaguely pissed, and who could blame them? And who the heck costumed these guys? It looked like we were being entertained by rejects from the last Sci Fi Matrix convention – hey guys, your outfits are too lame to be at the convention, but we have a gig for you! Then they twirled stuff. Did no one think of maybe a nice 3 piece orchestra in the corner doing standards? And a dance floor – I think people would have enjoyed a dance floor. If only to work off the chocolate.
Next time, I’m going to buy a Mickey Bar and work my way around the F&W Festival – cheaper by far, less pretention, better food – and maybe a place to sit down! But I'd like to give a shout out to my three darling sisters, who made the evening so fun, and who, I hope, will enjoy my review! A good meal is a just good meal, but a bad meal is loads of funny stories to tell!
KC
about your comment '...I think hes related to the panna cotta lady remind me not to eat at their house.'
!
