Food & Wine & Feeling Fine: An October 2015 Dining Report (COMPLETE!)

[kastoney]

Love that Ep-A-Cot is catching on ; ) I can't think of it any other way now too

Glad your experience at HBD was much better than ours. I should have just stuck with the cobb salad and grapefruit cake and called it a day. One of these days I'll learn.

Trattoria looks like a really good meal. Agree hunger can jade us sometimes, but good is always good ; )

 

[momabaarjo]

Glad to know that HBD was just okay...I have always wanted to try the cobb and the grapefruit cake. I think I will pass for another time.

I have loaded mac&cheese to my MUST have list!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

Friday morning, we were up bright and early so we could get over to Animal Kingdom. We’d only planned a half day at this park so we wanted to make the most of it. I got ready quickly and headed down to the Belle Vue Lounge for a quick breakfast: a multigrain croissant and an apple (from home). Very cheap and quick...and I LOVE those multigrain croissants!

Friday was also exciting because Melsen was working a half day and then catching a plane to join us in Orlando! I was so excited when he sent me a pic of all of his stuff packed and ready to go:

When the girls were ready, we boarded a bus and headed over to AK. We had a great morning and got to hit most of our favorites: Everest, Dinosaur, safari, and Finding Nemo. I know a lot of people are so-so on this park, but I always love it here! My favorite pic from our morning:

We had a 1:05 reservation that I was extremely excited about, so we headed out of the park around 12:15 and hopped on a bus to AKL. None of us had ever been to any of the restaurants at AKL or had even visited the resort before, so we were all pretty excited. We arrived early and found a few rocking chairs where we could sit and take in the savannah view. It was so peaceful out there!

Am I the only one who finds it completely charming how giraffes have to do the splits to reach the ground?

Before too long, it was time for us to head down to the restaurant. We were seated with very little wait and were thrilled to get one of the coveted window-side tables. Our waiter was very welcoming and pleasant and got us started with water right away. We obviously had to order the famous bread service after hearing so much about it. We decided to pick three sauces rather than the whole set: roasted bell pepper hummus, red chile sambal, and tamarind chutney. Because of my aversion to cilantro, we asked the waiter to provide us only with Nicole-approved/cilantro-free breads. I believe we got plain naan, garlic ginger naan, and onion kulcha, but I’m not 100% sure.

This appetizer was delightful! The bread was so warm and fresh and buttery--truly the perfect naan! I enjoyed all the dipping sauces, though I found the hummus to be a little boring. (I mean, we get red pepper hummus for our fridge at home almost every week. It was tasty, but pretty familiar.) I loved the red chile sambal and the tamarind chutney mixed together for a spicy and sweet combo. For the extra $2.50, I would just order a whole round of sauces next time!

I’m pretty sure I just drank diet coke, but Stace and Linds both ordered a South African wine flight. For some reason only one was delivered; when our waiter realized what happened, he brought a second set with heavier pours! Stacey was not upset about that…

For entrees, we all went with the combo of two dishes. Usually at Disney and often when we go out at home I like to share meals with Mel (as you’ll get to see when he arrives!). Since he’s allergic to chickpeas and lentils, I don’t eat them super often. I took the opportunity this afternoon and ordered the chickpea wat and the lentil dal along with the basmati rice.

I thought both of these dishes were very good. The chickpeas were cooked in a rich tomato-y broth and were cooked well. The lentils were a bit more al dente than I would generally prefer, but I really enjoyed their warm flavor. The basmati rice was...well...rice! But it was a nice counter to the flavorful dishes. I eat Indian quite often at home, and I thought this was a very good Indian meal. I also really appreciate the efforts that Disney and their cast members put in to make this restaurant approachable to visitors who are not used to eating Indian food. The menu explains what everything is and our server was proactive in explaining things to us that might have been unfamiliar. Very nice touches! If you’re new to Indian food and feeling curious, I say give it a try!

We were all in the mood for something sweet, so the girls and I split the Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse:

Isn’t this stunning?! The mousse was deeply chocolate-y but simultaneously a very nice, light texture. The caramel was a little salty and made a delicious counterpoint to the rich chocolate. We could have used a bit more whipped cream for balance, but overall this was a delicious dessert. We really appreciated the gorgeous presentation, too.

We all really enjoyed our meal at Sanaa! It’s a bit of a pain to get out to AKL, but I definitely look forward to visiting again in the future and would recommend it to others. This was my favorite meal of the trip and I think I’d say one of my top five Disney dining experiences to date! Are there any other Sanaa fans reading?

Next time: We head to Epcot for another wine tasting and more F&W festival!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

After our delicious lunch, we hopped a bus and headed back over to Epcot. We had a 4pm reservation for the Grgich Hills Wine Tasting in the Festival Center.

Now, I know I haven’t been the best wine reporter, and if you’ve made it this far in my trip report apparently you don’t mind. But this wine tasting is where things take a turn for the absurd. I have basically no memory of any of the wines served here. I think they were all fine? Looks like two whites and a red, and….that’s all I’ve got.

I can tell you that this presenter was MUCH better than the power point reciter we saw earlier in the trip. The guy was very casual and conversational and it made for an interesting (if unmemorable?) presentation. We arrived a bit early so decided to amuse ourselves by drawing on our placemats. Observe my amazing artistry:

This is Lindsey’s baby and two of her cats, Teddy and Belle.

These are the other two cats, Tiggy hiding on the stairs and Gus up in the attic eating a piece of cheese. What can I say? We were a little slap-happy!

After the tasting, we shopped around in the Festival Center and then grabbed another drink at the Intermissions Cafe. I went with the MARTINI Prosecco. This instagram pic was very popular...I think I look very relaxed and vacation-y!

We wandered out of the Festival Center and did a few rides in Future World before we dove in for dinner. We definitely jumped in the single rider line for Test Track and I believe we visited Spaceship Earth. We hung out for a bit and chatted with Lindsey’s husband and baby via facetime. Plus I got word from Melsen that he was at the airport!

As day started to turn towards evening, we decided it was time to visit some more F&W booths. We started at the front of the park and headed to the new Sustainable Chew. Now I LOVE Carla Hall from her days on Top Chef, so I was pretty much determined to love the Chew booths! Unfortunately my first choice was not a great one: the Beso Del Sol White Sangria. This looked pretty, but the fruit (strawberries and mango, I think?) was underripe and it was pretty flavorless.

We also tried the New York Strip with Parsnip Silk, Balsamic Glaze, and Arugula Foam from the Chew Lab. This was pretty and sounded like it was going to be something truly unique. Unfortunately the booth was overwhelmed and we ended up waiting for quite a while to get our plate. I think the chefs were rushed, so this ended up being pretty unremarkable. I did like the parsnip silk (love parsnips), but the arugula foam was pretty boring and not very foamy. The steak was fine but nothing to write home about. I loved the colors on the plate, though!

Next we visited the Cheese and Wine Studios. I really wanted to try the Cheese Fondue with Sourdough Bread at the Cheese Studio, but they were out and the cast member told me it would be at least another 20 minutes until they were serving again. Undeterred, I got a glass of the Dry Creek Zinfandel at the Wine Studio instead. I enjoyed this quite a bit! According to the internet, this “is a big, powerful yet well-mannered wine; exotic spiciness and briary, brambly notes of blackberry and raspberry.” Sounds good to me.

While I waited to meet back up with Linds and Stace, I found a nature-made hidden Mickey in the trees around world showcase:

Lindsey and Stacey both got the Artist Palette of Cheese & Wine. I thought this was such a cute presentation and they both really enjoyed it.

We found a standing table in front of the Wine Studio and just hung out as the sun started to set. Honestly, thinking back on our vacation, this was one of those perfect Disney moments. The weather was ideal, warm but breezy and not too humid. I was with my friends eating and drinking delicious treats. It was a Friday night and everyone around us was really happy. We still had a vacation stretching out in front of us and Mel was on his way. Such a great moment to think back on.

I’ve gotta get to bed, so I’ll have to leave off for now. Lots more Food & Wine treats to come!

 

[pepperandchips]

I'm here and caught up! Love the opportunity to relive some of our f&w moments while reading about yours! You are doing such an awesome job describing the dishes you ate.

Are there any other Sanaa fans reading?

Hi, I'm Melinda and I have a Sanaa addiction... I love visiting just for drinks and appetizers! The lounge there is great in the evening when it's dark (so you're not missing out on an animal view anyway). Never had a bad dish there and always exceptional service!

I have basically no memory of any of the wines served here. I think they were all fine? Looks like two whites and a red, and….that’s all I’ve got

Tragic! Grgich has a really fancy expensive Chardonnay that's supposed to be just amazing most of my wine is in the $10 per bottle range so I wouldn't know... Haha. Does possibly explain them coordinating a better presenter though?

 

[ursalita]

Really enjoying your reviews so far! The dishes you got at Trattoria al Forno and Sanaa look scrumptious. I hope to get a chance to try both places someday. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who loves the multigrain croissants.

 

[DisneyCoasters]

I last left off as we started our evening at the F&W festival. The girls and I had staked out a lovely table in the garden area in front of the Wine Studio booth. Because it was a Friday night and things were starting to get really busy, we decided to hang on to our table and send runners to the other close booths. This worked really well for us since we were sharing dishes so we could taste a lot of stuff.

First, I went to the Dominican Republic booth for the Pescado con Coco (Seared Grouper, Pigeon Peas, and Rice with Coconut Sauce). I’m not a huge fish eater, but I’ve been trying to branch into more seafood this year and the small portion made this feel like a worthy trial. I’m pleased to tell you that I thought this was delicious! The fish was well cooked and the sauce was very flavorful. I was afraid the coconut would be too sweet for me, but it actually was a savory dish. The rice and peas served as a nice garnish for the fish.

Next, we sent Stacey to visit Hawaii and the Farm Fresh booth. She brought back a Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayo and the Griddled Yard Bird with Braised Greens and Homemade Habanero Sauce.

To be honest I don’t remember much about the slider. I’m sure it was enjoyable...how bad can pulled pork really be? I DO, however, remember the yard bird and greens very fondly! The chicken had a nice crispy exterior from the grill but was still juicy inside. I love greens prepared in pretty much any fashion, and these ones were tender and a bit vinegar-y. The habanero sauce added a nice kick but wasn’t burn-your-face-off spicy. The yard bird was a top pick for me this year!

Next we decided to brave the crowds and head into World Showcase. It was PACKED in the area near the Refreshment Port! I am used to going to WDW during low crowd times, and this was a very stark reminder of WHY we try to travel off cycle. We were all pretty overwhelmed by the wall of people!

We got in a long line at the Canada booth, but things actually moved pretty quickly. While the girls got the Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce, I decided to go for the Cheddar Cheese Soup.

I’d tried the soup a few years prior at Le Cellier, and to be honest I wasn’t blown away. I mean...it’s cheese so obviously still a decent experience, but I didn’t like it as much as Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup. This time, however, I was very impressed with the flavor. It was so salty and tangy and had a lovely rich texture. I’m so glad I gave this soup another try!

Stacey and Lindsey were NOT impressed with the filet. I think this must have just been a bad batch because I know many others have completely loved this dish. Theirs was undercooked and chewy and they found it to be inedible. They both threw it out without finishing. Really disappointing, especially considering it’s one of the more pricy items in the festival.

Onward through the crowds we ventured, into the UK. Lindsey and I decided to split a Magner’s Pear Cider from the UK Beer Cart. We asked for two cups and split the drink, and I’m glad we did. This was tasty enough, but it was pretty sweet and half a cup was plenty for me.

We decided to head back into the UK and see if we could get some pictures with Pooh and Tigger. Our Pooh and Tigger pics from a previous trip had never appeared via Memory Maker, so we needed another visit. We waited in line for about 20 minutes and watched the band play in the pavilion. After a while, the man behind us asked if we’d watch his place in line, as he needed to check in with his wife and kids. We told him no problem and continued to wait. He came back and thanked us, and made a few jokes about how he owed us a beer after all this wait. We laughed it off until a few minutes later when he said, “Wait, but seriously...this is the beer line, right?” We had to tell this poor dad he’d been waiting in line for a character meeting instead of a beer! It was pretty hilarious.

From the UK, we crossed the bridge over to France and decided to try the La Passion Martini Slush which is Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, Cranberry, and Passion Fruit Juice. With the cranberry and passion fruit juice I expected this to be quite tart, but it was actually pretty sweet. I thought this was ok but not as good as the La Vie en Rose pink slush from the Flower and Garden Festival!

All evening I’d been texting with my friends Judy and Nathan who are locals and were visiting Epcot that night. It was an amusing text exchange between me and Judy:

Nicole: We’re in Canada!
Judy: We’re in Mexico on the way to China!
Nicole: Now we’re headed to the UK.
etc, etc…

Finally we met up in Brazil! On Judy’s recommendation, we tried the Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread) and the Carnaval Sparkling Moscato Wine. The wine was sweet and fizzy and a nice counterpoint to the bread. I thought the bread was pretty good, though it definitely did not beat out the Canadian soup as the cheese dish of the night! They were a bit crispy on the outside and nice and warm and gooey on the inside. The cheese was very mild in flavor, maybe something like a queso blanco? I think this would have been better for me with something more strongly flavored like a sharp cheddar or a gruyere. But of course, when in Brazil…

We got a table behind the Brazilian booth and chatted with Judy and Nathan for a while. It was so good to catch up and hear about Disney from a local’s perspective. It started to get late and we bid farewell so they could finish their loop around the showcase and we could find a spot for a second Illuminations viewing at 10pm. We went back to our spot in front of Germany from a few nights prior and it was blocked off! Rude! Instead we found a spot along the railing and grabbed a few snacks and drinks to finish off the evening. I got a jalapeno cream cheese pretzel at the Fife & Drum.

This is something I’d been wanting to try for quite some time and it did NOT disappoint! The filling was just a touch spicy and the warm pretzel was absolutely delicious. By this time, though, I was definitely filled up on bread and cheese!

After Illuminations, we headed bid a fond farewell to Epcot. Can't get over how beautiful it is there at night!

We made our way over to the Polynesian to check into our new room. We arrived just after Mel’s magical express dropped him off, and I was SO EXCITED he had arrived! It was a very slow process to get checked in (we still refer to our CM as “The Sloth” and now crack up whenever we see the sloths in the preview for Zootopia!). We finally got squared away and headed to the Tokelau building. Our room was gorgeous, but we were all super tired so pretty much got right into bed as soon as we were settled.

Coming up next: We venture to the MK for a Starbucks breakfast and a Be Our Guest lunch!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

I'm here and caught up! Love the opportunity to relive some of our f&w moments while reading about yours! You are doing such an awesome job describing the dishes you ate.

Hi, I'm Melinda and I have a Sanaa addiction... I love visiting just for drinks and appetizers! The lounge there is great in the evening when it's dark (so you're not missing out on an animal view anyway). Never had a bad dish there and always exceptional service!

Tragic! Grgich has a really fancy expensive Chardonnay that's supposed to be just amazing most of my wine is in the $10 per bottle range so I wouldn't know... Haha. Does possibly explain them coordinating a better presenter though?

So glad you're enjoying the review...I'm having a lot of fun doing it! F&W is my favorite time at WDW, and it's especially nice to relive it when it's snowing here in Boston.

Also so good to know about the lounge at Sanaa. Maybe sometime I will get drinks/apps at the Sanaa lounge before a dinner at Jiko. Just love AKL!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

Really enjoying your reviews so far! The dishes you got at Trattoria al Forno and Sanaa look scrumptious. I hope to get a chance to try both places someday. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who loves the multigrain croissants.

So glad you're enjoying the reviews...they're so much fun to do! And yes, definitely recommend both places. Trattoria felt like a hidden gem since we just stumbled upon it! And you are definitely not alone with the multigrain croissants...I miss them when I'm at home!

 

[pepperandchips]

So glad you're enjoying the review...I'm having a lot of fun doing it! F&W is my favorite time at WDW, and it's especially nice to relive it when it's snowing here in Boston.

Also so good to know about the lounge at Sanaa. Maybe sometime I will get drinks/apps at the Sanaa lounge before a dinner at Jiko. Just love AKL!

Writing and reading trip reports definitely helps pass the time between trips! After the 2015 round of festivals, I think I actually prefer Flower and Garden to Food and Wine... F&G was like Food & Wine with fewer people and gorgeous topiaries and blooms to admire. I can't wait to go back! May have to write a TR now that I'm reading such a good food report!!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

When last I left off, all four of our intrepid travelers were finally united under one (Polynesian) roof and fast asleep. Melsen and I woke up early and were too excited to stay in bed, so we got ready as quickly and quietly as possible, then headed out the door. We wandered over to the boat launch and jumped on a surprisingly un-crowded boat over the the MK. This morning was absolutely beautiful--bright blue skies, warm but not sweltering. The perfect Magic Kingdom morning!

We arrived just a few minutes after rope drop and headed to the Main Street Bakery/Starbucks for a little breakfast. Mel and I got a couple of different sandwiches to split...which are also exactly what we would order at Starbucks at home. But no matter, these hit the spot! We got the bacon, egg, and gouda on an artisan roll and the spinach and feta egg white wrap. Because you can only get small cups with iced water, we got four of them. (Seems like more of a waste of plastic/money for them, but I don’t know much about running a restaurant. Maybe most people would be dissuaded from ordering more than one per person? Not us, though!) We also bought two bananas and supplemented with two clementines from home.

This was a really great simple breakfast and another one of those perfect Disney moments. Mel and I found a table outside of the ice cream parlour and enjoyed our snacks with this spectacular view:

After breakfast, Mel and I decided to try Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom for the first time. This is right up our alley because we love games and scavenger hunts (does anyone else know about geocaching?). Mel was really good at getting the scanners to read his card, but for some reason I had a hard time with it. Still thought it was fun to get to wander around and explore some new corners of the park, though!

Linds and Stace came to meet us, and after a FP+ for 7DMT we headed to our lunch ADR at Be Our Guest. We had all dined here for dinner previously, but this would be all of our first time trying lunch and experiencing the kiosk ordering. Though Mel looks as sad as can be, I promise he’s excited!

After waiting for quite some time in line with these fine fellows…

...we got to order our food. I thought this was very easy to do and thought it was convenient that your party can split up to make payment easier. We found a seat in the library (sat in the ballroom last time, so this was a fun change) and grabbed our drinks. Soon enough our food appeared! Even though I understand how this works, I still find it pretty magical. In my opinion, this new food ordering/delivery is Disney creativity at its best!

Once again, Mel and I decided to split a few things. We got the Carved Turkey Sandwich, the Vegetable Quiche, and the Potato Leek Soup.

We thought the quiche was rather forgettable but we appreciated the big side of greens. We both loved the potato leek soup! This was so creamy and savory and surprisingly not as heavy as I imagined it might be. This wouldn’t be enough for a meal for me, but as an accompaniment I thought it was delightful. We also really loved the carved turkey sandwich. It was nice to have carved turkey as opposed to deli style. The meat was tender and not at all dry and the bread was the perfect combination of crisp and chewy. The fries weren’t as hot and crispy as I’d like, but they were salty, tasty fries so it was hard to be too mad about them. If I visited for lunch on my own and couldn’t share, I would probably get the turkey sandwich again! Linds also got the quiche and Stacey got the quinoa salad and enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the lunch experience at Be Our Guest and would rate it a 3.5/5 stars. The ambience can’t be beat and the food was pretty good. It misses out on a perfect rating because the prices are a bit steep and the wait is pretty long to order. I would definitely go back, though!

After lunch, we did a bunch more rides including my favorite, the People Mover:

Satisfied with our morning, we split off from the girls and decided to head back to the hotel for a midday break. On our way out, we perused the selections of our favorite treat at the Confectionary: the caramel apples!

We settled on this sweet seasonal Minnie witch caramel apple:

We had the apple cut into pieces and took it back to the hotel to enjoy while lounging. One last pic on our way out:

Coming up next: Pool time, drinks at Trader Sam’s, and a dinner at Citricos!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

After Mel and I got back to our room at the Poly, we decided to veg for a bit. We watched some Disney Must Do’s, lounged in the air conditioning, and shared our delicious caramel apple. I took a few pictures to remember our gorgeous view:

When Lindsey and Stacey came back, the three girls decided to head to the pool for a bit. We swam, read magazines, and Linds and I went down the slide a few times. It was really fun, though not as exciting as the one at Stormalong Bay. I felt like Old Man River being the only adult in line with only kids under the age of 12ish, but if you can’t be a kid at Disney, then where can you?!

After swimming and getting cleaned up, we decided to head to Trader Sam’s for a drink. Despite arriving soon after opening, we were out of luck and would have had over an hour to wait. Since we had an upcoming ADR, we decided to find a table on the patio instead. It was very pleasant to sit on the patio and listen to the live ukelele music as evening set in.

We ordered with a waitress and after a very long time, our drinks finally came. For some reason I only took a photo of my drink, which was the delicious Dark & Tropical Stormy-- Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, fresh Lime Juice, Ginger Beer, and Falernum. (I didn’t know what Falernum was, so I looked it up: Falernum (pronounced fah-learn-um) is a sweet syrup used in Caribbean and tropical drinks. It contains flavors of almond, ginger and/or cloves, and lime, and sometimes vanilla or allspice.)

I love a dark and stormy in general, and this one was really good. I enjoyed the extra spiciness which presumably came from the Falernum. I also thought the windblown umbrella was an adorable touch! The girls both ordered a cocktail and Mel got a non-alcoholic Skipper Sipper (which he thought was ok but too sweet). We sipped our cocktails, watched the sun set, and then waited for our waitress to come back. And waited, and waited, and waited. Seriously I felt bad for the servers because it was pretty busy, but we waited an absolutely absurd amount of time. We wanted another round but ran out of time waiting. We finally got to pay our bill, but not before getting pretty annoyed and bug bitten. Our overall experience at Trader Sam’s patio was pretty disappointing...the poor service and bugs outweighed the beautiful view and music. Next time I think we’d just go to Tambu Lounge for a Lapu Lapu!

After we paid the bill, we decided to walk to the Grand Floridian for our ADR at Citricos. We thought we were following the right path, but we ended up walking through some weird backstage looking areas. We came across a cast member in a golf cart who zoomed by us so we assumed we weren’t anywhere forbidden! We came out in the Grand parking lot and found out way to the lobby. We checked in just a few minutes early and were seated after less than five minutes wait.

We started by sharing a plate of the arancini--Crispy Risotto with Crimini Mushrooms, Asiago, and Charred-Tomato Coulis.

Honestly I could have eaten like 10 of these on my own! They were nice and crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside. I find arancini is often lacking in flavor, but the mushrooms, asiago, and especially the tomato coulis all brought great flavor to the dish.

For our entree, Mel and I decided to share the Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs and a side of brussels sprouts. The rich dish was served on a bed of Melted Leek and Parsnip Puree, Wilted Spinach, and Mushrooms, and was finished with Natural Jus.

The kitchen was thoughtful enough to split the dish into two plates and the photo you see above was my half portion. I’ve ordered short ribs out at restaurants a number of times, and sometimes they’re a little tough or not that flavorful. THESE short ribs, however, were so tender and delicious. The pan sauce was so tasty I wanted to lick it out of the bowl! The parsnip and leek puree was very smooth and made a nice backdrop to the beef. The spinach and brussels were both appreciated to add some green to the dish. I am not overstating when I say how much I loved this combination!

To finish, the four of us decided to share the Warm Chocolate Banana Torte (on my friend Judy’s strong recommendation).

This was stunningly presented with the show-stopping chocolate crown. The torte was very rich and had a deep chocolate flavor and the bananas and ice cream were a great sweet counterpoint. We finished every bite of this dessert!

We all enjoyed our meal here quite a bit. I didn’t love the atmosphere as much as some of the other signatures I’ve visited--the main dining room was one big open area and it felt a bit busy and crowded even though there were open tables. The service was very good and the food was great. I would give this a 4 (verging on 4.5) out of 5 stars. I would happily go back, but when given the choice of a signature at the Grand I think I would still choose Narcoossee’s!

We asked a friendly CM to take a photo on the way out so we had one dressed up group pic from vacation:

Then we jumped on the monorail and split off at the MK. Mel and I went back into the park for more rides and fireworks while Stace and Linds went on to the Contemporary to watch Wishes from the bar at Cali Grill. (I have yet to make it up there, but I can’t wait to do it someday!) The girls later sent me this photo to commemorate their successful monorail drinking tour:

Mel and I wandered all around Adventureland and found some interesting spots to watch Wishes. For the start of the show we climbed up to the top of the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. The views were obscured, but it was pretty cool to be so high up for the start of fireworks--plus we got to see Tinkerbell fly from that vantage point! We climbed back down and appreciated the rest of the show from the Aladdin and Pirates areas:

The MK was open until midnight and Mel and I closed out the park this night. We did a bunch more rides and grabbed some popcorn on the way home. All in all, this was a great Disney day!

Coming up next: Breakfast at Kona and even MORE Food & Wine!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

We asked a friendly CM to take a photo on the way out so we had one dressed up group pic from vacation:

I love your dress!!!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

I love your dress!!!

Thanks, Jerusalem Gal! This is one of my faves, especially for vacation, because it's super easy to wear and makes me feel cute. I have many pics of me wearing this at Disney and in other warm vacation spots! I got it at a great shop called Re/Dress in Cleveland, OH. They have an online shop too if you have any desire to check it out: http://www.redressnyc.com/re-dress-cle/

 

[DisneyCoasters]

I love your dress!!!

P.S. Love the dress in your profile pic, too...especially since you pair it with sneakers like me. It's a must when I do so much walking at Disney!

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Thanks, Jerusalem Gal! This is one of my faves, especially for vacation, because it's super easy to wear and makes me feel cute. I have many pics of me wearing this at Disney and in other warm vacation spots! I got it at a great shop called Re/Dress in Cleveland, OH. They have an online shop too if you have any desire to check it out: http://www.redressnyc.com/re-dress-cle/

Thank you! I'll definitely check it out! Always looking for new dresses to add to my collection

P.S. Love the dress in your profile pic, too...especially since you pair it with sneakers like me. It's a must when I do so much walking at Disney!

Ah, this dress I bought at Mouse Gear two years ago! I love it to death but don't wear it as often as I'd like. The bow has a Minnie Mouse in the middle! And the sneakers I got on my trip 3 years ago- Mickey sneakers of course!
I'd never pair them together in real life, but Disney makes it seem fine

 

[DisneyCoasters]

I'd never pair them together in real life, but Disney makes it seem fine

Haha, there are plenty of things I do/wear in Disney that I would probably not do/wear in "real life!"

 

[pepperandchips]

We've never made it to Citrico's since the allure of other restaurants keeps pulling us back but your review really makes me want to check it out! That dessert looks divine

 

[DisneyCoasters]

We've never made it to Citrico's since the allure of other restaurants keeps pulling us back but your review really makes me want to check it out! That dessert looks divine

I highly recommend checking it out! We went because it's the favorite spot of two friends of ours from Boston who are very discerning diners. I loved the food and the dessert was delicious!

 

[DisneyCoasters]

On Sunday morning we woke up to our last full day in the parks. It’s hard to not get a little sad when you realize how quickly vacation is coming to a close, but we had a great day ahead to distract us from our imminent return to Boston!

Since we were staying at the Poly for the first time, we decided to give Kona Cafe a try for breakfast. We checked in and were seated very promptly for our 9:05am reservation. Can’t beat that <5 minute commute.

I started with the Liliko'i Juice which as I’m sure most Disers already know is a combination of passionfruit, orange, and guava juice. I was SUPER excited about this because I drank it a bunch in Hawaii on our honeymoon in 2014, but unfortunately this was way too sweet for me. I actually sent it back and asked for a seltzer because I just couldn’t even drink it.

Because we had a big afternoon of F&W coming up, we decided to keep it on the lighter side for breakfast. The four of us split three items: an omelet, the fruit plate, and the legendary tonga toast.

We got the Ham & Cheese Omelet with homefries, a biscuit, and a slice of pineapple to garnish for $12.49. As you can see, this omelet was a good size and would likely make a filling breakfast for someone looking for a hearty protein-packed start to the day. The eggs were fine, but I thought it was a little strange that the cheese was on top of the omelet as opposed to inside. The potatoes were tasty enough but nothing particularly special. I was disappointed in the biscuit which was surprisingly dry.

Next up was the Fruit Plate--Fresh Seasonal Fruit served in a fresh Pineapple with Banana-Nut Bread for $9.49. This wouldn’t be enough breakfast for me on its own, but as a part of a larger breakfast I thought this was lovely! It made a great impression while served in the pineapple and all the fruit was fresh and tasty.

Finally, we got an order of the Tonga Toast: Banana-stuffed Sourdough French Toast rolled in Cinnamon Sugar and served with a Strawberry Compote and your choice of Ham, Bacon, or Sausage for $13.99. Since this is a Dis favorite I’d been really looking forward to trying it! I enjoyed the toast with syrup and butter on it instead of the strawberry compote. This was very sweet, but worked for me as part of a larger array of savory foods. I loved the crispness of the toast on the outside combined with the soft insides.

My plate:

This meal didn’t blow any of us away, but it was a pleasant start to the day. I’m not sure I’d travel very far to get to this breakfast, but I’d definitely visit again if staying at the Poly or another monorail resort. I’d give Kona breakfast a 3 out of 5 stars. If/when I do go back for breakfast, I think I’d like to give the Samoan a try. I’m not generally one to order eggs benedict, but the eggs over pulled pork hash sound amazing. I’d also be interested to try the macadamia-pineapple pancakes! (While writing I’m also listening to Disney Pandora and Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from Lilo & Stitch is on and this is all making me miss Hawaii! )

After breakfast, we walked over to the TTC and grabbed a monorail over to Epcot. I always love riding the monorail on its loop through the park...it’s so gorgeous. We spent a few hours on rides until it was finally time for Mel to get his first taste of F&W 2015! Of course, we had to start at my favorite booth: Farm Fresh! Mel agreed that the Loaded Mac’n’Cheese with Nueske’s Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers, and Green Onions and the Griddled Yard Bird with Braised Greens and House-made Habanero Sauce were major winners! We also all enjoyed tasting the cider flight here, though I don’t have a pic this time.

We skipped a few booths and jumped into line in China. I got the Chicken Pot Stickers and Mel got the Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce. The pot stickers, as I sort of assumed they would be, were fine enough but nothing earth shattering. They tasted a lot like pot stickers you’d get at an unremarkable Chinese food restaurant. The steamed bun, on the other hand, was pretty popular. Mel loves steamed buns in general and thought this one was quite good. Seemed a little heavy on the onion to me, but very easy to remove a few for an enjoyable snack.

From there we continued on to the “country” of Africa scratchin) where I got the Buttered Chicken with(out) Micro Cilantro and Naan Bread. I was pretty disappointed with this...the bread was cold and stiff and the chicken was not very flavorful. I love Indian food and we have a few great places near us, so I would skip this next time for some Indian takeout at home.

Mel next chose an Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce from Germany. There wasn’t anything else on the menu that caught our eye, so Mel grabbed this to get a stamp...but he ended up really liking it! He remembers the sauce as being very vanilla-y and you can see lots of cinnamon on the closeup of the apples.

We were all so happy to be wandering around World Showcase together! Can you tell?

We even spotted a few Remys playing Hide & Squeak:

Next we stopped at Japan for the Teriyaki Gyoza Bun: Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables, and Sweet Teriyaki. Mel and I split this, but I think we could have each eaten a few more of these! The bun had just the right texture and the teriyaki filling was well balanced and tasty.

Next I went a bit outside my comfort zone and tried the Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans and Tomato from Brazil. I don’t have much experience with pork belly, but I love bacon and ham so I figured why not! I didn’t find the meat to be super flavorful and the texture left a bit to be desired for me, but I loved the beans.

We stopped next in France and Mel got the Croissant aux Escargots: Escargot Croissant with Garlic and Parsley. When I just asked him about this, he said “It was kind of boring, honestly.” The escargot were possibly overcooked...he doesn’t know much about snails, but they were shrunken down and pretty tasteless. He thought this just tasted like a croissant with butter and parsley.

Then, we crossed the bridge and Mel & Stacey split the Lobster & Seafood Fisherman’s Pie. Mel doesn’t remember much about this, but does remember liking it. There wasn’t much texture to the dish--Mel liked the warm mushiness (for lack of a better word) but others might have found it a little boring texturally.

By this time we were all pretty full and ready for a break. Before we hopped back on the monorail, we stopped by the Chew Lab for the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel. We all really enjoyed this! I loved the juxtaposition of the cold truffle with the warm caramel sauce. We had to wait in a bit of a line for this one, but it was worth it!

Snapped a quick photo to commemorate my love of Carla Hall! Did anyone else adore her on Top Chef as much as I did?!

Satisfied with another successful trip around World Showcase, we headed back to the Poly for some rest and to get ready for what’s up next: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!