Food and Wine Hits and Misses

[MakiraMarlena]

Epcot Food & Wine Late Nights LIVE! - so was this a hit or miss?

The first one is tomorrow (all the Tuesday events were cancelled) so there is no way anybody can report on that yet.

 

[tony67]

The first one is tomorrow (all the Tuesday events were cancelled) so there is no way anybody can report on that yet.

Forgot about that. Thanks - and here I was thinking everyone had such a great time they were still hungover.

 

[ziravan]

Hits:

1. China - Mongolian Beef - I ate 3 of them.
2. Patagonia - Grilled Beef Skewer.
3. Belgium - Belgium Waffle with warm chocolate ganache and whipped cream.
4. Canada - Wild Mushroom Beef Filet.
5. Desserts and Champagne - Dessert Trio (I wished I had tried the glass of Dom Perignon for $33.00/glass...)
6. Hops & Barley - Baked Lobster Alfredo
7. Morocco - Baklava

Misses:

1. Brazil - Tilipia was seasoned too spicy for my wife's taste.
2. Africa - Beef Tenderloin Tips: didn't like the cut of meet, too fatty, blah.

We had a blast. It rained for the Thursday Preview, so we had to come back. We tried all but like 3-4 places, and those we passed because we didn't see anything we liked.

We DID get all our passport book stamped. It was a neat adventure.

 

[whitepicketfence]

I live locally so swung by today to see the World Showcase Players one more time. I had the hash in Farm Fresh and it was very, very tasty. The pickled jalapeño cuts the richness of the Hollandaise nicely and we all know everything is better with bacon! A definite hit! I also had the griddled cheese in Greece and enjoyed it very much. We go to F&W every year and each year, the line is either too long or when the line is short, the cheese looks sad under the heat lamp. Today there was a short line and the cheese was melty in the middle and crispy on the edges. The honey went well with the salty cheese and the pistachios were crunchy and a nice contrast.

I am also looking forward to hearing about the Late Nights LIVE party after tomorrow! We have it booked for November. I saw few people in the "Premium Package Areas". Both Puerto Rico and Brazil areas were colorful and lively. Can't wait to go when I don't have to drive home!

 

[Vernie822]

My Husband and I went this past Saturday, 9/20 (it was hot & crowded, but I'll save that discussion for my TR )
We split everything we tried, so if I say it was a small portion, keep in mind-it was for two people. Here is what we had:

Mexico: we skipped the booth and went straight to La Cava del Tequila, if you are looking for a margarita, do yourself a favor and go here.

Germany:
Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll ($5.00, DDP Snack Credit)
It was a long, skinny sausage on a short, fat pretzel roll- with a dollop of mustard. it was good, but not great.

Belgium:
Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef ($4.25, DDP Snack Credit)
SOO GOOD and a huge portion compared to some of the other items we got. This is a MUST GET!
Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream ($3.50, DDP Snack credit) Another large portion, but nothing special.

Poland:
Kielbasa and potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream ($5.25, DDP Snack Credit) Lots of great flavors. The kielbasa was great. The dish came with three small pierogies. They were so small though, that all I could taste was the dough. It would have been better if it was just one larger pierogi.

Ireland:
Lobster and seafood fisherman’s pie ($6.25 DDP Snack Credit). Nice size portion. Ours had ALOT of lobster in it - we were very surprised. Not our favorite of the day, but still very good.

Canada:
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup ($4.25, OOP) This was so delicious! Unfortunately, for $4.25, we found the portion size to be insultingly tiny.
Moosehead Lager ($3.50) not much to say...it was cheap lager.


Greece:
Griddled Greek cheese with pistachios and honey ($3.75, OOP) This was delicious for a few bites. It was just was too rich, for even two of us to finish.
Chicken gyro with tzatziki Sauce ($4.25, OOP) Large portion, I didn't think it was anything special, but it was my DH's favorite thing he ate.
Tzatziki martini featuring Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka and BOLS Natural Yoghurt Liqueur ($7.75) Curiosity got the best of me here. I knew once a read about it a month back, I HAD to try it. Big mistake.... Im not even sure there was alcohol in this drink. It tasted like someone had just added a lot of water to a container of greek yogurt and blended it. I tasted no cucumber what-so-ever. And to make it worse, they topped it off with a sprig of dill ( i hate dill and it was the only flavor i could taste)

Australia:
Pavlova with Fresh Berries and Vanilla Creme ($3.50, OOP)
if you are expecting real pavlova, you might be disappointed. When they handed it to me, I was sure it was the wrong thing. Regardless, it was still yummy. The "Vanilla Creme" was just instant pudding. It was nice to end our tour around the world with something on the light side though.

I would have loved to tasted more dishes, but we were just too full and it was too hot/humid out.

To follow up on these.. we tried a few of them!

We liked the pretzel bratwurst in Germany. I am not a huge hot dog or bratwurst fan but this was good!

Belgian Waffles - We loved these. They were hot, kind of crispy on the outside and so fluffy. We tried a chocolate one, and later on came back for more. I tried the berry one the second time. Not as good as the chocolate IMO but we LOVED them!

Loved the pierogi in Poland, too. We're from Pittsburgh and there are lots of good pierogi here - but these were awesome, too. I don't like kielbasa but my boyfriend loved it.

We loved the Cheddar cheese soup and mushroom filet in Canada. I seriously wish I could have had more of both! The cheese soup was good, pretty thick, and we actually received a good portion. Our filet had a decent portion too.

Greece - Griddled Greek cheese. Like the previous poster said, it was too rich. I ate it all, though. I probably shouldn't have, seeing as it was very sweet and very rich.

My boyfriend loved the chicken gyro!

 

[Vernie822]

We were only there Friday, as it was the last day of our trip. I wish we could have stayed longer!!!



Tried and loved..

Hawaii: Kālua Pork Slider with sweet and sour Dole® Pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise – $3.75, DDP Snack Eligible
Delicious!

Puerto Rico: Carne guisada con arroz blanco: Slow-braised beef with Puerto Rican-grown rice (gluten free) – $4.50, DDP Snack Eligible -- This was excellent and had great flavor.

Canada:
“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce – $7.25 DDP Snack Eligible
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup – $4.25 DDP Snack Eligible
Both of these were OUTSTANDING!

Belgium: Belgian waffle w/ chocolate ganache. Berry waffle. Leffe Blonde. We loved the Belgian waffle so much that we came back for seconds later!!

Brazil: Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Cilantro – $5.25, (gluten free) DDP Snack Eligible -- I loved this. Fiance did not. He thought it was pretty fatty - it was. But I love black beans and pork belly, and pico!

Germany: Roast bratwurst in a pretzel roll – $5.00, DDP Snack Eligible
We loved this!!

Morocco: Baklava was amazing!!! Sangria was just okay.

Mexico: Rib eye taco: Marinated rib eye, roasted chipotle salsa and grilled scallions on a corn tortilla (gluten free) – $5.50, DDP Snack Eligible
And a mango strawberry margarita! I wish I would have tried the shrimp taco. These were both delicious.

Poland: Kielbasa and potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream – $5.25, DDP Snack Eligible -- This was great.

Greece:
Griddled Greek cheese with pistachios and honey (gluten free) – $3.75, DDP Snack Eligible, Vegetarian
Chicken gyro with tzatziki Sauce – $4.25, DDP Snack Eligible
The cheese was pretty thick and rich.. I could have done without this dish. I don't really like when my cheese is sweet though so that could be a personal preference.

Craft Beers: Schofferhofer Grapefruit. I had 3, I am in love!

Hops and Barley:
Artisan cheese plate featuring Cabot Cloth wrapped cheddar, Purple Haze chèvre goat cheese and Cave Man blue cheese – $5.00, DDP Snack Eligible
This was okay. I loved the goat and the blue, but the cheddar I could have done without. It had a honey glaze on it, and I wasn't a huge fan of the sweetness.





"Just Okay"
China: Chicken Potstickers – $4.00, DDP Snack Eligible

Italy: Ravioli alla caprese: Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil – $6.00, DDP Snack Eligible
This was just bland to me. It was nothing special.

France: Boeuf bourguignon: Braised short ribs in cabernet with mashed potatoes – $5.75, DDP Snack Eligible
This was just okay.. nothing amazing.




Things I wish I would have tried...
The bacon hash at Farm Fresh
Apple Maple spiced latte
Cocadas in Brazil
MMMHops
Creme brûlée in France
Passion slush in France
Spanakopita in Greece
Shrimp Taco in Mexico
Cronut!

 

[nagshead]

We were only there Friday, as it was the last day of our trip. I wish we could have stayed longer!!! Tried and loved.. Hawaii: Kālua Pork Slider with sweet and sour Dole® Pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise – $3.75, DDP Snack Eligible Delicious! Puerto Rico: Carne guisada con arroz blanco: Slow-braised beef with Puerto Rican-grown rice (gluten free) – $4.50, DDP Snack Eligible -- This was excellent and had great flavor. Canada: “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce – $7.25 DDP Snack Eligible Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup – $4.25 DDP Snack Eligible Both of these were OUTSTANDING! Belgium: Belgian waffle w/ chocolate ganache. Berry waffle. Leffe Blonde. We loved the Belgian waffle so much that we came back for seconds later!! Brazil: Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Cilantro – $5.25, (gluten free) DDP Snack Eligible -- I loved this. Fiance did not. He thought it was pretty fatty - it was. But I love black beans and pork belly, and pico! Germany: Roast bratwurst in a pretzel roll – $5.00, DDP Snack Eligible We loved this!! Morocco: Baklava was amazing!!! Sangria was just okay. Mexico: Rib eye taco: Marinated rib eye, roasted chipotle salsa and grilled scallions on a corn tortilla (gluten free) – $5.50, DDP Snack Eligible And a mango strawberry margarita! I wish I would have tried the shrimp taco. These were both delicious. Poland: Kielbasa and potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream – $5.25, DDP Snack Eligible -- This was great. Greece: Griddled Greek cheese with pistachios and honey (gluten free) – $3.75, DDP Snack Eligible, Vegetarian Chicken gyro with tzatziki Sauce – $4.25, DDP Snack Eligible The cheese was pretty thick and rich.. I could have done without this dish. I don't really like when my cheese is sweet though so that could be a personal preference. Craft Beers: Schofferhofer Grapefruit. I had 3, I am in love! Hops and Barley: Artisan cheese plate featuring Cabot Cloth wrapped cheddar, Purple Haze chèvre goat cheese and Cave Man blue cheese – $5.00, DDP Snack Eligible This was okay. I loved the goat and the blue, but the cheddar I could have done without. It had a honey glaze on it, and I wasn't a huge fan of the sweetness. "Just Okay" China: Chicken Potstickers – $4.00, DDP Snack Eligible Italy: Ravioli alla caprese: Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil – $6.00, DDP Snack Eligible This was just bland to me. It was nothing special. France: Boeuf bourguignon: Braised short ribs in cabernet with mashed potatoes – $5.75, DDP Snack Eligible This was just okay.. nothing amazing. Things I wish I would have tried... The bacon hash at Farm Fresh Apple Maple spiced latte Cocadas in Brazil MMMHops Creme brûlée in France Passion slush in France Spanakopita in Greece Shrimp Taco in Mexico Cronut!

Thanks for great review!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Yesterday (9/22) was our first Epcot day, and our first time ever at F&W. We had planned to eat around the world for dinner, but were so disappointed in our first stops that we gave up and went back to our hotel. Our griddled cheese at Greece was cold and congealed (only steps from the booth, not half way around the world). The chicken gyro was too heavy on sauce and boring otherwise. At Canada, our filet, while tasty, was cooked medium well, and the mushrooms were cold. The soup was delicious, but for the price, you can't get some pretzel bread to go with it?? The apple ice wine at Canada was quite nice, a little stingy on the pour for the price. The Frozen S'more at the dessert and champagne booth...wow. Do don't get it. Tasted nothing like a s'more. Had no flavor of marshmallow syrup. We booked this trip at this time of year specifically so we could do F&W because I'm a foodie and she's becoming one, and so far it's been disappointing. We go back tomorrow to lunch around the world, and I'm almost wondering if I should try for an ADR somewhere just in case we find nothing else we like.

I assume you went back but reading this I see some unrealistic expectations maybe caused by this board


Food is not cooked to order you get the steak the way it comes. (Of course that is the LeCellier norm). Things are not bargains or served with bread, sides etc,,,,


If the price of the soup bothers someone I expect this won't be a hit. I think this is a warning for everyone This event is not for everyone. It gets a lot of love here but that's not to say it is universal.

 

[gwynne]

I assume you went back but reading this I see some unrealistic expectations maybe caused by this board


Food is not cooked to order you get the steak the way it comes. (Of course that is the LeCellier norm). Things are not bargains or served with bread, sides etc,,,,


If the price of the soup bothers someone I expect this won't be a hit. I think this is a warning for everyone This event is not for everyone. It gets a lot of love here but that's not to say it is universal.

Amen. It's best to think of these as maybe, snacks. We love to enjoy a day or two of primarily booths, but we also make some relaxing evening dinner reservations.

 

[speedo]

Absolutely hands down the best thing at food and wine fest this year at Refreshment Port:



and yes, we made this into a hidden mickey

Seriously these were so good that we had this both days we went.

the miss for me was the Goulash at Poland. I was really looking forward to this but it was way too spicy for me! Wasn't expecting it to be spicy.

A savory hit was the lobster alfredo at Hops and Barley.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

My hits from the few things I tried on my short visit.

Poland. Pieorgies
USA. Lobster Alfredo
Canada. Soup
S Korea. Kimchi dog
Brazil. Pork belly

just OK. The au gratin dish in France

Miss. The hash thing. I know others love it but I threw half of it away

 

[nagshead]

Filet was amazing!!

Hawaii sliders good

Italy was decent too

I wish we had more time there I didn't get to try everything I wanted

 

[shortnsassy730]

My foodies group went last Sunday and hit a few booths. The Lambchop at I believe Australia was wonderful. The overwhelming favorite of the entire group was the Bacon Hash at Farm Fresh. The Kimchi dog in South Korea got high marks as well. We our second meetup this coming Sunday and the Scallop in Scotland is calling my name lol.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

What a great thread! Thanks to everyone for their reviews. This is really helpful as I'm creating my wish list!

 

[kastoney]

Hits for me include the pork slider from Hawaii, hash from farm fresh (Though an egg on it would have made it perfect), and the coconut candy from Brazil. The chicken from farm fresh and pork belly from Brazil both had good flavors but the proteins needed to be crispy.

Only miss for me was the pork goulash and sauerkraut pirogue. As a good Czech girl I could tell the pirogue was frozen and not freshly made and the pork was lacking in flavor.

 

[LillsnJills]

I assume you went back but reading this I see some unrealistic expectations maybe caused by this board Food is not cooked to order you get the steak the way it comes. (Of course that is the LeCellier norm). Things are not bargains or served with bread, sides etc,,,, If the price of the soup bothers someone I expect this won't be a hit. I think this is a warning for everyone This event is not for everyone. It gets a lot of love here but that's not to say it is universal.

We were on the DxDP and using snack credits for what we tried, so it wasn't so much an expectation that anything should be a bargain, I was just surprised there was no pretzel bread with the soup.

I didn't think food would be cooked to order, per se, just that a filet that's touted as the signature dish at the restaurant it's from would be cooked properly. A filet cooked past medium is way over cooked, and that any part of it should be COLD (not lukewarm but actually cold) only moments after being served is disappointing.

We went to F&W fully expecting to have an amazing time, blow all of our snack credits and then some over three visits eating around the world, and enjoy most of what we tried, because everything sounded so good and everyone raves about the festival. We love trying new dishes and were looking forward to tasting most of what was on offer. Literally the only things we enjoyed were the beer cheese soup and the potato pancake with smoked salmon at the Scotland booth. The pork slider at the Hawaii booth tasted of nothing but soy sauce, literally. It was repulsive. After our second attempt at the festival, we gave up on it and ended up doing last minute treat shopping to bring goodies home as we had so many snack credits left.

I am so disappointed in my experience that I will not go back during F&W. With the crowds, the obnoxious drunks and not enjoying any of he food, it'd just be a waste, as I felt this trip was.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Interesting. I had the pork slider on Sunday and loved it. My big miss from this weekend was the yard bird. Sauce was "hot" just to be hot and chicken itself was yuck. Into the trash. I also had the ribeye taco. It was just ok

Of course I once again missed the drunks. Even onSaturday night. Proof I suppose that attitude and perception help. I don't go out of my way to find them. And of course I don't automatically assume the group in matching t shirts celebrating someone's birthday or whatever are drunk. (Ran into 4 of those groups Saturday. They were not drunk. One group was rude but that was not related to booze LOL)

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I always miss the drunks behaving badly too. I saw about 30 guys in viking hats standing outside the pub on Saturday the 20th. But they weren't doing anything but standing there. I felt cheated.

 

[Ozzygirl]

I always miss the drunks behaving badly too. I saw about 30 guys in viking hats standing outside the pub on Saturday the 20th. But they weren't doing anything but standing there. I felt cheated.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

We were at F&WF on Monday and Tuesday. Here are my hits and misses:

Hits:
China - Beijing Roasted Duck in Hoisin Sauce - this was sooo good that DH immediately went back up to get another and it was sold out

China - Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichaun Noodles

Germany - Berliner: Yeast doughnut filled with apricot jam - very fresh and tasty

Greece - Griddled Greek cheese with pistachios and honey - always a favorite

Hawaii - Kālua Pork Slider with sweet and sour Dole® Pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise

Hawaii - Tuna Poke with seaweed salad and lotus root chips

Ireland - Lobster and seafood fisherman’s pie

Ireland - Warm chocolate pudding with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard

Poland - Kielbasa and potato pierogi with caramelized onions and sour cream

Puerto Rico - Tostones (fried green plantains with mayo ketchup)

Refreshment Port - Croissant Doughnut


Misses:
Australia - Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies - I had fond memories of the lamb chop from Australia in past years but the pesto was too strong/overwhelming this time around

Brazil - Moqueca de Pescado – Regal Springs Fresh Tilapia featuring Coconut Lime Sauce and Steamed Rice - I found this to be way oversalted

Brazil - Cocadas – Brazilian coconut candy - this reminded me of the coconut macaroons that I make at Easter but it was too sweet for me (and I have a sweet tooth)

Dessert Trio: Passion fruit coconut creamsicle, blueberry lime cheesecake roll, and chocolate espresso opera cake - this wasn't a total miss but it's not something I'd get again. My favorite part was the passion fruit, the rest was just meh.

Greece - Spanakopita - there was nothing wrong with this per se, I just found it to be more along the lines of a spanikopita appetizer from a banquet or something, nothing special

Refreshment Port - Dole Whip Soft-serve with Crème de Cacao White - I'd had the Dole Whip with Rum at the Flower Fest last year. I didn't like this version as much

Scotland Fresh potato pancake with smoked Scottish salmon and herb sour cream - the smoked salmon was good but I wasn't a fan of the pancake


My 9 year old would like to chime in that these were the highlights of the festival for her (both from Italy, her favorite cuisine):

Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil

Chocolate-covered cannoli