Food and Wine Reviews

[snowwhite84]

I was hoping we could start a thread to review the samples at the F&W Festival. I'm going 10/13, and I know a lot of others are going, too. So, for those who have been...what are the best items? The ones you could have done without? Any input would be great! Prices, sample sizes, anything!

Yum!

 

[Quinn222]

This would probably go over better on the food review board.

 

[mrslane]

Note that Sat. was not great but Sunday was wonderful. I don't want to discourage anyone from going to F&W from my not-so-magical experiences on Saturday.

Saturday - At 11AM we started to line up at the food booths. Poland, Greece, New Zealand and Mexico had all run out of something or had heating problems. Lines were LONG and it was HOT as the sun. DH did not see any free seminars that were interesting. The free beer tastings were impossible to get into since folks lined up WELL in advance to get the free tickets. By evening the lines were no better. CMs were not always trained on the new systems and could not see their screens.

What I can tell you that is different this year, is that you pay at one point in line and they give you small colored laminated cards. You proceed to the booth and hand in your cards in exchange for the food and beverage.

China was by far the most effecient line - they had 2. Their level of service and happiness was far above all other booths. Even at night! The food at the China booth was also my favorite. Chicken Sha Cha and Pot Stickers. Yum! Let me just say that I was discouraged by Saturday's crowds, heat and first-day problems. Sunday WAS A DIFFERENT DAY! Thankfully, the crowds were half of the day before and the sun was less relentless. We enjoyed just walking around and trying items from almost every booth. I did not think the wine samples were a good value. I tried many beers, but there is only so much you can eat and drink in a few hrs. I never had too much, but others did. I saw someone get denied service at Rose & Crown b/c she was drunk. I saw/heard a few others out about WS who had too much.

So, I'd be happy to answer any questions about food, prices and decor. I do want you all to know that I would go again. However, I'd make sure to go later in the festival so that I could enjoy the weather and avoid all the love bugs. Thankfully they don't fly into your food or drink. They do love white clothes. FYI.

 

[lovethattink]

We went Saturday and it was very crowded. I believe the cheese soup was $3.50 and was served in either a 2 or 3 ounce cup. The lobster roll at the american booth was $6.50 and was on a roll that might have been 3 inches. The salmon at Canada was fantastic, it was a nice size piece of salmon steak. I don't remember the price

 

[flyinglizard]

We went to the preview on Thursday and then again on Saturday. Although Thursday was a soft opening, lines were surprisingly long, but not terrible.

First, looks like they made the cheese soup from Canada much smaller than previous years.

Last year the Florida kiosk served up two great entries; this year I had both offerings one time, and will not do it again! Beware of the mushy stuff!

CHINA retained the Chicken Sha Cha again this year, and it is just as good as always! BUT, the peach ice tea is only available at the fast food window inside the pavilion.

The Bay Scallop and Sea Food Medley at New Zealand contained what I think was green mussels. I did not care for green seafood. Thumbs down...

I only had the Conga juice at Mexico, but I had several! And I'm sure I'll like the offerings at this booth later!

Octoberfest disappointed me with the sausage/sauerkraut on a pretzel roll. Finished the roll and threw away the rest!

DW loved the Bailey's Trifle and the potato leek soup at Ireland.

The "BBQ Pork Ribs with Grilled Fresh Corn" at USA was also a disappointment- "Ribs" means more than one, right? I got one dried out rib and a slice of corn on the cob about and inch and a half long... the corn was good! DW said the Blackberry Cobbler was great!

The Creme Brulee au chocolat (Chocolate pudding with burned top) is once again, a must stop at France . Passed on the snails...

Sorry, can't comment on the beer or wines. But I'll keep everyone posted on what new discoveries I find during October.

Saw Survivor Saturday and they did a pleasant 35 minute set.

We are going tomorrow in the afternoon and Thursday night too so we can see Mickey Thomas.

 

[Muffy]

What I can tell you that is different this year, is that you pay at one point in line and they give you small colored laminated cards. You proceed to the booth and hand in your cards in exchange for the food and beverage.

Did each booth do this? Can you further explain about paying at one point, laminate cards and then proceeding to the booth? We leave soon and I would like to be clear on how this is done. TIA!

 

[lovethattink]

Did each booth do this? Can you further explain about paying at one point, laminate cards and then proceeding to the booth? We leave soon and I would like to be clear on how this is done. TIA!

Most, but not all booths did that.

 

[snowwhite84]

Thanks for the responses! I've heard from several posts that the Chicke Sha Cha is great, I'll make sure to try it. What is Conga Juice? I've heard about it before, but I'm not sure what it is. Keep up the great reviews! Anyone else have a favorite?

 

[flyinglizard]

Today we went over to F & W for lunch.

You may elect to boycott Citgo gas stations, but DO NOT skip the ARGENTINA kiosk located between the main entance into Showcase and the Mexican Pavilion. I had the "Grilled Beef Sirloin with Chimichurri" and it was a home run! You also get a little dollop of mashed potatoes on the plate. DW tried the "Spicy Beef Empanadas" (meat pies), but they didn't have any little packets of hot sauce, which would have made them better and more authentic! Also DO NOT skip the "Marinated Strawberries with Basil", but you may need to order two at the same time- they are that good! When you finish, drink the juice!

Feeling quite satisfied with a good start, we continued over to MEXICO for a Conga juice. DW tried the Ligonberry Mousse at Scaninavia and it was also very good.

At the AUSTRALIA kiosk, I had the "Beef Skewer with Green Bean Salad"- beef was a little dry but good and very tender. Just needed some sort of "down under" sauce. Green beans were good too!

I had the "New England Crab Cake with Barley Salad" at the Hops & Barley Market just before the American Pavilion. Being from Maryland originally, I was surprised how good the crab cake was- needed some Old Bay, but I really enjoyed it! I think you will too!

DW had the "Chicken Bastilla" at the Morocco kiosk and said it was OK... Then she quickly decided on another "Creme Brulee" at France.

As we walked past the Poland and Canada kiosks, there were no lines at all!

We got in line early for the 2:45 Cooking Demo at Odyssey with BOMA chef TJ. HE showed us how to prepare Squid Salad- yeah, I know, call it calamari... but it really was quite good. Don't know that I would order it from a menu though.

Well that's it folks! A GOOD DAY for a lunch at Food & Wine at EPCOT!

 

[RitaZ.]

We went on Sunday and it was enjoyable. I expected the lines to be longer, especially since a CM said they would be. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. I liked the atmosphere and the small portions, you can try a lot of different foods without feeling

Some suggestions:

Take cash. Many of the handheld devices weren't working, some guests couldn't use their credit cards. There was lady in front of me that had to walk away because they couldn't get the device to work.

This event is best enjoyed without children, IMO. If your children are adventurous eaters, they would probably enjoy it. My kids are not. My DD had some creme brulee and the beef dish from Argentina. My 14 yr. old had pizza from Italy. My 11 yr. old didn't care for any of it.

Foods we ate:

France~ Chocolate Creme Brulee, very good.

USA~ Spareribs and corn. Don't waste your money and time. It was the worst, IMO. The smallest portion of all the things we tried.

Italy~ Pizza, nothing special.

Mexico~ Chilaquiles, very good. The chicken and chorizo quesadillas also looked very good, I wish I had tried them. This is coming from a person that isn't a fan of Mexican food.

Argentina~ Grilled Sirloin with Chimichurri sauce. Very good meat and potatoes, too much olive oil in the sauce. I still recommend it.

Spain~ We wanted to try the chorizo and potatoes. I noticed a family eating it and asked for their opinion. I didn't even get to finish my question , they said it was a big disappointment and tasted nothing like real Spanish chorizo. So, we skipped it!

We don't drink, so I can't tell you about the liquor. However, I have a somewhat funny story... There was a young guy (20's) that obviously had a little too much to drink and he was talking very loudly on his cell phone. He said," Yeah, I'm here in Epcot... in Tampa". He actually paused to think about it before he said it.

ETA~ The kiosks that we visited all used the same system. You order and pay at the first booth, they gave us the laminated cards that specified the foods that we ordered, then we presented those to the CMs actually serving the food. It's a pretty good system, no problems at all.

 

[PatriciaH]

I had the Goat Cheese tart (Chausson au Fromage de Chevre) $3.75 tonight from France and it was good. I am not a huge fan of goat cheese but I liked it. Also had another creme brulee au chocolat $3.00-very good. Morocco's Beef Kefta Pocket $3.75 and mint iced tea $2.00 were really good and I will be back to their booth again. They ahd a long line. The cherry wheet Sam Adams beer $4.75 is very good too.

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

We were there this weekend too and although it was hot, we had a terrific time. We did 6 wine tasting between Sat. and Sun. and they were all great. (Hey - it's free wine!!) It's a pain to stand in line for 30 -45 minutes before hand, but I think it's worth it to learn a little something and of course, to get something free at Disney! My only tip regarding the wine tastings is to try to do the ones in the Festival Center because the line is more in the shade.

Hits:
Argentina - great value and yummy
Mexico - Chilaquiles was HUGE and yummy
USA - Maine lobster roll is pricey, but large and worth it! Ribs were good too.
Oktoberfest - great value and yummy
Ireland - Trifle is awesome
New Zealand - if you like seafood, the medley is terrific
France - goat cheese tart is large and very good
Scandanavia - everything was good
Morocco - again big portions!

Misses:
Spain - meatball is tiny
Hops & Barley - bad food
Australia - food was overrated, line was too long. (Bar was good though!)
Champagne - truffles weren't that good
USA - blueberry tart was nasty
Japan - I can get twice as many "sushi" rolls at my local grocery store for that price and they taste exactly the same!

Overall, we had a great time this year! Can't wait to go back!

 

[pixie dust 112]

Loved the Cheese soup in canada, the Trifle in Ireland and the escargot in France!

 

[Poohbear123]

My DH is going for the FIRST time, I hope he likes it.

 

[yearbook50]

So excited for October 15th. I have reservations for Sweet Sundays then its walk around the world. Only 10 more days

 

[snowwhite84]

Yum! I'm highlighting my menu as I type. Don't want to miss any of the good spots!

 

[lovethattink]

I tried the potato leak soup today. I didn't care for it. It seemed more like a cabbage soup than potato. I also had the goat cheese pastry at France. I really enjoyed that!

 

[Otter49]

The thing that excited us the most was the return of the lamb chop to Australia after a one year hiatus. These used to be a highlight.

Friday night (opening night- I know), the Aussie booth was complete chaos. After a very long wait, and a lot of people around us getting refunds - we were handed a couple of lamb chops - No, scratch that - they were lamb scraps.

They were dry, less than a quarter inch thick - and I'd guess the weight at about one ounce. I returned to the cashier and told her it was unacceptable and would need a refund. No hesitation on her part. She handed me nine dollars for the two samples and muttered that I sure wasn't the only one.

Tried the lamb chops again on Monday, and while the size was a little better, they were mediocre at best. Won't be back for this one.

Value and quality at Italy for both the pizza and eggplant are very good.

And if you're tempted to skip the Scandanavian meatball, give it a try. It was a very tasty surprise last year.

 

[Jason71]

Went Sat. and Wed. World of difference--huge lines Sat, hardly any Wed. The first Sam Adams tasting (very worth your time BTW) was not even one-third full.

Had a lot of different things. The stand-outs were the cheddar cheese soup at Canada, baklava at Greece, and the "chicken and rice wrapped in cinnamon toast" at Morocco (not the real name, but basically what it was--and it was good!!!) The meat pie ("bobotie"?) from South Africa was the only disappointment--just "eh" for me.

Portions are small, about two or three bites. For the most part, entrees ran $2.50 to $3.25, dessets were more like $1.50 to $2.00.

 

[mitros]

We always go near the end of the event. This year we will be there on the 24th. By that time, everyone is "festiveled out" and the idae has run it's course. Crowds are far less, and you can get anything you want. And by that time all of the new "bugs" have been worked out of the systems running the event, and it all goes pretty darn smooth. I think the best thing they added a few years back was the capability for guests to use their room charge or charge cards at the food booths. Before that, we took a pocket full of singles, since the sample dishes ran from $1 to $4, at the time.