Thursday, October 15,2009:
As we left off, I continued to slash and burn my way through more food and wine kiosks in World Showcase before calling it a day and getting some pool time in at BCV before cleaning up for the festival signature dinner at Flying Fish Cafe.
I was a bit worried because a torrential rain storm came rolling in. The thunder and dark clouds told me that it would be a good idea to get out of the pool.
After I cleaned up for my night out, I bought an umbrella at the Beach Club store and hoped the rain would let up enough to avoid getting soaked on the walk over the bridge to Flying Fish. The umbrella purchase ensured that it would be a light drizzle.
My friend who was doing this event with me showed up, and soon we were led to a back room alcove set up for our event.
There weren't any seating arrangements made. We were able to choose our tablemates. Because I knew a couple I met at last year's Jiko dinner, my friend and I sat with them. The wife is SamSam here on the DIS. That left two spots open, which were soon filled by foodies, a mother and daughter.
I had to love the menu. After we read the accolades of the chef Tim Keating, I just loved that there was a credit on the menu that read:
Our Very Own Illustrious Pastry Goddess Extraordinaire - Annette Lehner
I would love to be credited like that someday. I wouldn't mind being a goddess.
And what was the winery for this evening's pairings?
Moët & Chandon Champagne. I'm not a big champagne drinker, but I was willing to give it a go.
Enough of the small talk, let's get on with the food porn!
Before the amuse bouche, the servers came around with hoover doovers. We were poured our first glass of champagne,
Moët & Chandon Imperial Extra Dry, NV.
This was a radish slice with some butter and dill on it. Not that exciting, but it was ok.
The next item was a bit more exciting.
That's some ahi tuna with sesame seeds. I took one, but I should have taken more. They were good.
The next hoover doover was probably the most beautiful presentation I've seen.
That, my friends, is a platter with fried artichokes. Each one skewered for our convenience. Excellent.
The next is one of the blurriest pictures I took, but at least you can identify it.
It's smoked salmon and caviar, served on one of those spoons you get at Chinese restaurants. I love getting hoover doovers served on spoons. Excellent.
Oh, and before I forget, we were served warm bread and butter sprinkled with Hawaiian sea salt.
Warm bread and butter, always good.
Now we're ready for the courses to start. In hindsight, it was a good thing I didn't have more than one of each hoover doover. We were served a lot of food, and I ate everything.
We didn't start with an amuse bouche. Instead, we started with an amuse gueule, which both translate roughly to "amusement of the mouth". Let's all have a mouth party. You're all invited.
Amuse Gueules - Crispy Togarashi-scented Wianno Oysters
Spicy Green Papaya & Hijiki Salad, Wasabi Espuma
Served with that same "extra dry" champagne.
Check out that presentation. The oysters were fried and served on the half shells, on top of a salt plate, surrounded by dill. I am sorry the picture is dark, but I was still getting used to the camera. The espuma looks like spit, but it was tasty. Chefs (and even bartenders at the Ditch) enjoy putting foam on stuff. It's been a trend I've seen in the past few years. The green papaya salad under the oysters was better than the one served with shrimp at the festival, but I expected that. And the champagne, listed as extra dry, was actually slightly sweet. This dish was Gluttony.
First Course: Fennel Pollen and Toasty Brioche-dusted Hirame Fillet
Tatsoi, Confit Young Fennel, Lobster Mushrooms, and Celery Root
Tahitian Vanilla Bean-Sea Urchin Butter Emulsion
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Brut, 2000
Brut Champagne is definitely dry, not sweet, and it paired well with the fish, otherwise known as fluke. It was no fluke that this dish was tasty, and I scored some extra lobster mushrooms because my friend does not eat mushrooms. This gets an Excellent.
By this time, my tablemates and I were raving about how good everything was so far, and we have not gotten past the first course yet!
Second Course: Pan-roasted Mano de Leon Diver Scallop
Heirloom Beet, Duck Confit and Mascarpone-laced Risotto de Carnarolli
Moët & Chandon Rosé Imperial Brut, NV
Wow. Besides the perfectly cooked big honkin' scallop, I couldn't get over the beet risotto. Sure, the mascarpone cheese gave it some richness, but the tiny pieces of duck boosted the richness of it even further. The beets served on the plate were tender and sweet, and I just couldn't stop eating. You would think the bright magenta would put me off, but it didn't. Definitely a Glutton rating.
Main Course: Tournedos of Local Day-boat Orange Swordfish and Crispy Veal Sweetbreads
Wilted Greens, Polenta Torta, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Truffle Embellishments
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Brut Rose, 2000
The sweetbreads were on top. This was the first of three meals of the trip that featured sweetbreads. For something quite offal, I thought they were very tasty! But then again, I've had sweetbreads before and know I like them.
Since my friend wouldn't eat sweetbreads or chanterelles, guess who got extra! Woohoo! I do have a confession to make. I have never had swordfish before. You can be sure that I would have it again, although it won't be as good as this was. I loved the combo of the sweetbreads, fish and polenta. I am pretty sure this was my favorite of the champagnes, as well. Glutton rating!
Fromage Course: Beemster Gouda, Cypress Grove Midnight Moon Chevre, Tete de Moine and Fiscalini Bandage-wrapped Cheddar
Petite Salade Frisée, Loire Valley's Montegottero Pecan Oil
Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial, NV
Cheese course! I'm already very happy with the meal, but this made me happier. I already know Midnight Moon and love it, so that was a plus. Starting from the bottom of the plate, the cheese that looks like a petticoat is the Tete de Moine. Clockwise we have the cheddar, and the deep yellow gouda, finally Midnight Moon to the right of the salad. All the cheeses were wonderful, and the salad had a great dressing. I think the flatbread wasn't that crisp, but it was ok. This gets an Excellent rating.
I took a photo of the champagnes from different courses, as I left a bit in each by the time I got to this course. I love all the different colors.
My tablemates and I had a tough time hearing each other speak due to the loudness that happens at these events. As people drink more, they tend to get more boisterous.
Finally, we received our last course.
Dessert Course: Honey-glazed Black Mission Fig Crostata, Tahitian Vanilla-Bacon Creme Glace
Red Berries, Rosé Champagne Zabaglione
Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rosé, NV
Three words. Bacon ice cream. Yowza! I dug into the ice cream, getting some of the pastry in my bite, and the first thing I noticed was the bacon. Because I said, "This tastes like Spaceship Earth!"
Ok, let me explain. The bacon had a rich, smoky flavor, so I explained to the table that it tasted like the ashes of Rome part of the ride. My friend immediately said, "This is the best piece of ash I've ever tasted."
Bwahahaha! Gotta enjoy friends with quick wit!
Zabaglione is also known as sabayon, a type of custard. It was sweet enough for the tartness of the berries, but I had to get back to the bacon part! The pastry also had bacon in it, and it was unbelievably good. If you would have told me that I would not only eat bacon ice cream, but enjoy it, I wouldn't have believed you. I found it ironic that I saw a segment on the Food Network show Unwrapped that featured a bacon ice cream before I went to Florida. This dessert isn't chocolate, but it still gets Gluttony from me. They really
do employ a Pastry Goddess at Flying Fish Cafe.
For some reason, our table didn't get as many pours as other tables, which could be a good thing. We were there four hours. But I was so happy with my dining companions, the evening seemed to go by quickly. The most amazing part was that I was completely sober by the time I left. I've been to wine pairing dinners before, and I usually leave at least a little bit buzzed. I can't believe I metabolized all that champagne so quickly. But we did get served a lot of food.
This was one of the best wine dinners I've attended. I thought it was well worth the price, and we gave all the chefs a hearty round of applause when they came out of the kitchen. I would jump all over another wine pairing dinner here in a heartbeat.
Glad I could match faces to the names now. 
What a fabulous review- THANK-YOU!!!!!!!
