Food & Wine Goes West

[Sarangel]

From Mouseplanet which has all the links for registration, etc.:

Food and Wine Weekends

We were starting to doubt the information we reported in February about a version of Epcot's Food and Wine Festival being held at Disney's California Adventure this May. With only a month to go until the dates we'd heard, it didn't seem that there would be enough time to promote a complex event and we almost ran something in last week's update to that effect. It's a good thing we decided to wait one more week since the Disney Gallery Web site finally posted details and made it all official.

The official name of the event is Disney's California Food and Wine Weekends 2006. The event is not continuous but will be running only on weekends (Friday through Sunday) from April 28 through May 21. While people with the money for specialty cooking events (as much as $270 for a single event) will be pleased with the opportunities to interact with some fine chefs. Others, who only interact with the Epcot Food & Wine Festival by eating an item in each land of that park's World Showcase will likely be underwhelmed. There are only four locations in the park serving special foods, and a series of cooking or alcohol seminars through the day.

Our understanding is that for this inaugural event, the idea is to start small and hopefully expand as the extent of customer demand is known. Time will tell. It has also been noted that two California wineries with strong Disney connections (Diane Disney Miller and Fess Parker, both of whom own vineyards) appear to also be missing from the itinerary.

The details are a little scattered around the announcement Web site but here is a rough recap of the various events.

Celebrity Chef Dinners

On the Thursday prior to each weekend, a different celebrity chef will be hosting a dinner at the Napa Rose restuarant in the Grand Californian Hotel. Each dinner is from 6:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m and there is only one seating each evening. The cost for the meal is $85 per person (plus tax and tip). Unlike other events, while you need to preregister, you will not be charged until the conclusion of the meal when your check is presented. The four meals are:

* Thursday, April 27 – Michael Cimarrusti of Providence (Los Angeles)
* Thursday, May 4 – Carl Schroeder of Arterra (San Diego)
* Thursday, May 11 – James Boyce of Studio at the Montage Resort (Laguna Beach)
* Thursday, May 18 – Michael White of Fiamma (Las Vegas)

Winemaker Dinners

On every Friday during the events, there will be a Winemaker Dinner featuring a multiple-course meal with pairings from a different winery. Each week will alternate the location of the dinner between Granville's Steakhouse at the Disneyland Hotel and The Vineyard Room inside Disney's California Adventure (note that separate admission is required to get to a meal at The Vineyard Room). The Winemaker Dinners are $122.75 per person (including tax) and the price is charged at registration. The four meals are:

* Friday, April 28 – Charlie Granville of Silver Oak Cellars (Granville's Steakhouse)
* Friday, May 5 – Brian Harlan of Dr. Loosen & L.J. Woolf and a representative of Sauza Tequila presenting selections of riesling and tequilas (The Vineyard Room)
* Friday, May 12 – Dan Karlsen of Chalone Vineyard (Granville's Steakhouse)
* Friday, May 19 – Scott McLeod and Rebecca Chapa of Coppola Vineyard.

Napa Rose Cooking School

Every Saturday during the event will see a Napa Rose Cooking School hosted by either Executive Chef Andrew Sutton or Executive Sous Chef Jeffrey Cummins at Napa Rose in the Grand Californian Hotel. Each class runs from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the class will create a themed meal and enjoy it at the conclusion of the class with appropriate wine selections. Each class is limited to 20 participants and costs $269.38 per person (including tax), charged at registration. The four dates are:

* Saturday, April 29 – hosted by Andrew Sutton
* Saturday, May 6 – hosted by Andrew Sutton
* Saturday, May 13 – hosted by Jeffrey Cummins
* Saturday, May 20 – hosted by Andrew Sutton

Lunch & Learn

Held on Saturdays and Sundays through the event, these events will present a three-course meal from a Disney chef as well as a wine expert. During the meal they will present cooking and wine selection demonstrations. There will be one seating per day from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will either be held in the Redondo Room at the Paradise Pier Hotel or the ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel. The cost is $96.56 per person (including tax), charged at registration. The schedule is as follows:

* Saturday, April 29 – Paradise Pier Hotel, Redondo Room
* Sunday, April 30 – Paradise Pier Hotel, Redondo Room
* Saturday, May 6 – Disneyland Hotel, Ballroom
* Sunday, May 7 – Disneyland Hotel, Ballroom
* Saturday, May 13 – Paradise Pier Hotel, Redondo Room
* Sunday, May 14 – Paradise Pier Hotel, Redondo Room
* Saturday, May 20 – Paradise Pier Hotel, Redondo Room
* Sunday, May 21 – Paradise Pier Hotel, Redondo Room

Guest Sommelier Education Series

This series of four seminars teaches the basic skills involved in being a sommelier. One seminar is held each Sunday of the event at the Seasons of the Vine attraction in Disney's California Adventure. The cost of each seminar is $60 per person and lasts 90 minutes, with two sessions for each seminar beginning at 12:00 p.m and 3:00 p.m. You can attend all four seminars for $200 and a certificate will be given for completion of the entire series. Costs are charged at registration. The seminar schedule is as follows:

* Week 1 – The basics of USA Wines
* Sunday, April 30 – 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

* Week 2 – Napa Valley Wines
* Sunday, May 7 – 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

* Week 3 – Central Coast and Southern California Wines
* Sunday, May 13 – 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

* Week 4 – Russian River, Sonoma, and Mendocino Wines
* Sunday, May 21 – 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Culinary Demonstrations

There will be four sessions per day (Friday through Sunday) at the outdoor terrace of The Vineyard Room restaurant in Disney's California Adventure. Each session will last about 45 minutes and be hosted by chefs from around the Disneyland Resort. These sessions are free with park admission (though seating is limited). The exact schedule and hosts for the sessions is not yet available.

Each demonstration will be on one of four topics:

* California Grown, using ingredients grown in California
* Flavor of California, highlighting the diverse cuisines of California
* Uniquely California, "exploring tastes that could only have started in California" (whatever that means)
* California Celebrates, specialties from food festivals around California

Wine, Beer, and Spirit Demonstration

There will be four sessions per day (Friday through Sunday) at the lower terrace of Golden Vine Winery restaurant in Disney's California Adventure. Each session will last about 45 minutes and be hosted by winemakers, brewmasters, and sommeliers from the Disneyland Resort or specific manufacturers. The exact schedule and hosts for the sessions is not yet available.

Festival Marketplaces

This is the part of the weekends that will be most similar to what most people experience at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival. There will be four "Festival Marketplace" menus available and served from counters in the Bountiful Valley Farm area or the Lucky Fortune Cookery area (conveniently, these two locations have never-used kitchens). Each item will cost $4-$5 and there are also selections of California wines and beers available at each location. The four menus are:

* Menu 1 – Lobster quesadilla, chicken skewer, and seasonal mixed berries
* Menu 2 – Santa Maria tri tip, fresh tomato salad, and bruschetta
* Menu 3 – beer battered northern halibut, Solvang knockwurst, fresh California peach cobbler
* Menu 4 – California white cheddar soup, premium Central Valley strawberries, and grilled artichoke

 

[Another Voice]

Uniquely California, "exploring tastes that could only have started in California" (whatever that means)

A) In 'n Out

B) Del Taco

C) Tommy Burgers

D) Wahoo Fish Tacos.


Sorry, couldn't resist.

Although I find it interesting that a Food festival held in a theme park built on the site of a former ORANGE grove in the middle of ORANGE County, with an ORANGE as part of its logo and a giant ORANGE themed ride near a shop selling ORANGE crate lables seems to be lacking a certain fruit from any of the menus.

 

[YoHo]

I'dHey, In N' Out and Wahoo's would be a serious step up.

 

[manning]

A) In 'n Out

B) Del Taco

C) Tommy Burgers

D) Wahoo Fish Tacos.


Sorry, couldn't resist.

Although I find it interesting that a Food festival held in a theme park built on the site of a former ORANGE grove in the middle of ORANGE County, with an ORANGE as part of its logo and a giant ORANGE themed ride near a shop selling ORANGE crate lables seems to be lacking a certain fruit from any of the menus.

I wonder if the feature drink will be ORANGE SCHNAPPS.

 

[Banzai]

OT- I didn't get to eat at In-N-Out when I went to Cali last month That was on my To Do list, guess I'll have to go back...