Larded and Loaded Tour: F&WF 10/11-20 Complete!
- Thread starter BriarRosie
- Start date
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
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Love your reports! We were at the SAWE and the PFTS! My husband and I are already planning next years Food and Wine events!
Thanks! I enjoyed your West Coast reports of the DCA events.
I would have had my next installment today had I not closed the window while composing a good chunk of the Signature Dinner event.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Ok, I'm copying this verbatim from my trip report update on the TR boards.
Redundancy Alert!
Day 4: October 14th, 2007, part 2:
Amy played a joke on me. I thought she couldn't get into the Signature Dinner event at the California Grill that night. But right before the trip, someone at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival emailed me a copy of the menu for that night. Apparently, they were giving us fair warning that we were being offered a vegetarian menu, as the visiting chef's restaurant was vegan, I believe. So Amy managed to book this because others have canceled their meals. She led me to believe she might try to get in, but the joke was on me that she was already booked all along.
Oh, I should also mention that the person who sent us the menu in advance gave us the opportunity to put a fish course in our menu, and I opted in for that action.
Anyway, I cleaned myself up, took a bus to the Magic Kingdom and transfered to the resort monorail. I still had been early, so I checked in at the California Grill check in at the Contemporary, and I went to the bar to wait for the event to start. I saw that one of the Adventurers Club regulars was there for the event, so I sat there to chat with him until Amy arrived.
Soon after, we were ushered into a small room where wine and hors d'oeurves were being served. This was the Reception portion of the evening, where we got to taste our first wine and sample the bite-sized offerings to whet our appetites.
Rudd Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
The wine was not too dry, and it fit pretty well with all the offerings.
Chardonnay Cheese with Endive, Poached Pear and Candied Walnuts
Spoon of Arborio Rice-encrusted Oyster Mushroom with Bouillabaisse Broth en Gelée
Truffle and Potato Croquettes with Vichyssoise
These were my three main winners of the Reception. All three had good repeatability. The mushroom on the spoon thing was especially nice, because it had a lot going on with flavors and textures. I did have these at least twice, but I wanted to try the other things, too.
Black Bean Cakes with Spicy Tomato Compote and Avocado Espuma
Yoshie's Vegan Sushi Bites
I am not a big fan of the black bean item. The sauce flavored it enough, but it didn't do much for me. Yoshie is a whiz at sushi, but I am not a big fan of vegetable sushi without any fish in it.
The theme for the evening was "An Artful Table", and we came into another private room, this time with 5 large round tables set in it. Each table had place cards and menus at each setting:
The nice thing was that each table had a representative of the wineries represented, as well as Disney bigwigs. I wish I could remember the names of our Disney bigwigs at our table, especially since I sat next to the same guy a couple of years ago at the Exquisite Evening at Epcot a couple of years ago with him. I may not remember his name, but he was the head of all food and beverage at WDW. And I saw Brenda and Jim (thought he was a Jay like oybolshoi's Jay, but he's not) from the same event at our table, too.
First Course:
Cherry Wood-smoked Portabella with Yukon Gold Blinis, Cucumber Dill Sauce and Wasabi Caviar (served with Rudd Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River, 2005)
Not only was this presented beautifully, it tasted wonderful. But I happen to love portabella mushrooms, so when the chef jazzed it up in this way, I was cleaning my plate.
Second Course:
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Grilled Porcini Mushrooms, Black Perigord Truffles and Arugula (served with Merryvale Reserve Merlot, Napa 2003)
First, I'm sorry that I have been getting blurry photos again!
I have never been a huge fan of sweet pototoes, but the gnocchi was tasty. And those are honest-to-goodness slices of black truffle on my plate. This alone made an event like this a special treat.
Third Course:
Halibut (substituted fish course - was supposed to be Crispy Celery Root Schitznel) with Endive Meuniere, Baby Carrots, Turnips and Red Wine Reduction (served with Rudd Oakvale Estate, Napa 2004)
You can tell that the chef worked as the chef at Flying Fish just before taking over the duties as the head chef at California Grill. Just by this dish alone! The halibut had a light crust to it, and the red wine reduction went really well with it. I noticed that most people at the table had requested this fish dish in advance, as well. And if the expressions of the other diners were anything to go by, everyone really enjoyed this dish!
Fourth Course:
Pan-seared Seitan with Ragout of Braised Root Vegetables, Brussel Sprouts, Parsnip Puree and Leek Brown Butter Sauce (served with Merryvale Profile, Napa 2003)
Seitan, for those who don't know what it is, is a vegetarian staple for a meat substitute. It's basically wheat gluten. And it takes on a texture similar to meat. I wasn't fond of this dish, because of the lemon flavor used. I'm not a big fan of most lemon flavored dishes, so I knew it wasn't the seitan itself.
The veggies were good, though.
Fifth Course:
The Chocolate Tasting Palette: Chocolate Torte, Yuzu Sorbet in a Consomme of Lemongrass, Tapioca Pearls with Rum-roasted Pineapple (served with Edge Hill Estate Vintage Port, 2002 AND Merryvale Antigua Muscat de Frontignan, St. Helen, NV)
Yum! The chocolate torte was on the left, then the tapioca thing, followed by the sorbet. Because I wanted to save the chocolate for last, and sorbet would melt fast, I started on the right and worked my way left. The sorbet was refreshing, and I liked the lemongrass "broth" it was in. The tapioca dish was really tasty, and I am a fan of tapioca to begin with. But I had loved the chocolate torte in a glass, and the gold leaf on top was very elegant.
I'm not a vegetarian. I'm fond of my corn-fed midwestern beef products. But I must say, I was really impressed with the overall meal and presentation of the dishes. I went outside my usual norm and would do it all over again if I was given the chance. At the end of the meal we had a couple of surprises.
First, they gave us chocolate picture frames with the menu on edible paper:
And I didn't eat it until a few days ago! I am surprised I waited that long to devour it!
The other surprise was that we were able to see Hallowishes fireworks with the music piped into the room we were in. The room is actually behind the outdoor platform that people at the California Grill use to watch the fireworks. So we had a good view of the castle and the music.
After dinner, I went to the Adventurers Club with Amy and the regular we knew who ate with us. And we closed the place, as usual.
Next: RADP meets at Epcot and Food and Wine kiosk noshing!
Redundancy Alert!
Day 4: October 14th, 2007, part 2:
Amy played a joke on me. I thought she couldn't get into the Signature Dinner event at the California Grill that night. But right before the trip, someone at the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival emailed me a copy of the menu for that night. Apparently, they were giving us fair warning that we were being offered a vegetarian menu, as the visiting chef's restaurant was vegan, I believe. So Amy managed to book this because others have canceled their meals. She led me to believe she might try to get in, but the joke was on me that she was already booked all along.
Oh, I should also mention that the person who sent us the menu in advance gave us the opportunity to put a fish course in our menu, and I opted in for that action.
Anyway, I cleaned myself up, took a bus to the Magic Kingdom and transfered to the resort monorail. I still had been early, so I checked in at the California Grill check in at the Contemporary, and I went to the bar to wait for the event to start. I saw that one of the Adventurers Club regulars was there for the event, so I sat there to chat with him until Amy arrived.
Soon after, we were ushered into a small room where wine and hors d'oeurves were being served. This was the Reception portion of the evening, where we got to taste our first wine and sample the bite-sized offerings to whet our appetites.
Rudd Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
The wine was not too dry, and it fit pretty well with all the offerings.
Chardonnay Cheese with Endive, Poached Pear and Candied Walnuts
Spoon of Arborio Rice-encrusted Oyster Mushroom with Bouillabaisse Broth en Gelée
Truffle and Potato Croquettes with Vichyssoise
These were my three main winners of the Reception. All three had good repeatability. The mushroom on the spoon thing was especially nice, because it had a lot going on with flavors and textures. I did have these at least twice, but I wanted to try the other things, too.
Black Bean Cakes with Spicy Tomato Compote and Avocado Espuma
Yoshie's Vegan Sushi Bites
I am not a big fan of the black bean item. The sauce flavored it enough, but it didn't do much for me. Yoshie is a whiz at sushi, but I am not a big fan of vegetable sushi without any fish in it.
The theme for the evening was "An Artful Table", and we came into another private room, this time with 5 large round tables set in it. Each table had place cards and menus at each setting:
The nice thing was that each table had a representative of the wineries represented, as well as Disney bigwigs. I wish I could remember the names of our Disney bigwigs at our table, especially since I sat next to the same guy a couple of years ago at the Exquisite Evening at Epcot a couple of years ago with him. I may not remember his name, but he was the head of all food and beverage at WDW. And I saw Brenda and Jim (thought he was a Jay like oybolshoi's Jay, but he's not) from the same event at our table, too.
First Course:
Cherry Wood-smoked Portabella with Yukon Gold Blinis, Cucumber Dill Sauce and Wasabi Caviar (served with Rudd Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River, 2005)
Not only was this presented beautifully, it tasted wonderful. But I happen to love portabella mushrooms, so when the chef jazzed it up in this way, I was cleaning my plate.
Second Course:
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Grilled Porcini Mushrooms, Black Perigord Truffles and Arugula (served with Merryvale Reserve Merlot, Napa 2003)
First, I'm sorry that I have been getting blurry photos again!
I have never been a huge fan of sweet pototoes, but the gnocchi was tasty. And those are honest-to-goodness slices of black truffle on my plate. This alone made an event like this a special treat.
Third Course:
Halibut (substituted fish course - was supposed to be Crispy Celery Root Schitznel) with Endive Meuniere, Baby Carrots, Turnips and Red Wine Reduction (served with Rudd Oakvale Estate, Napa 2004)
You can tell that the chef worked as the chef at Flying Fish just before taking over the duties as the head chef at California Grill. Just by this dish alone! The halibut had a light crust to it, and the red wine reduction went really well with it. I noticed that most people at the table had requested this fish dish in advance, as well. And if the expressions of the other diners were anything to go by, everyone really enjoyed this dish!
Fourth Course:
Pan-seared Seitan with Ragout of Braised Root Vegetables, Brussel Sprouts, Parsnip Puree and Leek Brown Butter Sauce (served with Merryvale Profile, Napa 2003)
Seitan, for those who don't know what it is, is a vegetarian staple for a meat substitute. It's basically wheat gluten. And it takes on a texture similar to meat. I wasn't fond of this dish, because of the lemon flavor used. I'm not a big fan of most lemon flavored dishes, so I knew it wasn't the seitan itself.
The veggies were good, though.
Fifth Course:
The Chocolate Tasting Palette: Chocolate Torte, Yuzu Sorbet in a Consomme of Lemongrass, Tapioca Pearls with Rum-roasted Pineapple (served with Edge Hill Estate Vintage Port, 2002 AND Merryvale Antigua Muscat de Frontignan, St. Helen, NV)
Yum! The chocolate torte was on the left, then the tapioca thing, followed by the sorbet. Because I wanted to save the chocolate for last, and sorbet would melt fast, I started on the right and worked my way left. The sorbet was refreshing, and I liked the lemongrass "broth" it was in. The tapioca dish was really tasty, and I am a fan of tapioca to begin with. But I had loved the chocolate torte in a glass, and the gold leaf on top was very elegant.
I'm not a vegetarian. I'm fond of my corn-fed midwestern beef products. But I must say, I was really impressed with the overall meal and presentation of the dishes. I went outside my usual norm and would do it all over again if I was given the chance. At the end of the meal we had a couple of surprises.
First, they gave us chocolate picture frames with the menu on edible paper:
And I didn't eat it until a few days ago! I am surprised I waited that long to devour it!
The other surprise was that we were able to see Hallowishes fireworks with the music piped into the room we were in. The room is actually behind the outdoor platform that people at the California Grill use to watch the fireworks. So we had a good view of the castle and the music.
After dinner, I went to the Adventurers Club with Amy and the regular we knew who ate with us. And we closed the place, as usual.
Next: RADP meets at Epcot and Food and Wine kiosk noshing!
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
It was a last-minute surprise to those of us who got contacted by Disney, but I was willing to give it a go. My friend told me others from Chicago (like me, probably big carnivores/omnivores) decided they didn't want to try it.
I did see quite a few vegetarian offerings around the festival kiosks, too. I bet if they advertised in advance that a specialty dinner was vegetarian, many people like your DH would jump all over that in anticipation. Maybe they should sprinkle some vegetarian options throughout the speciality bookings.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Day 5: Monday, October 15, 2007:
No, I didn't fall off the face of the planet! I'm back with more than just food reports. But that's not to say most of my report isn't food reports. It mostly is. The only downer now is that all my special events were finished after the Califoria Grill, and the rest of my Larded and Loaded Tour would be grazing the kiosks around World Showcase and dining with the Trio arriving on Day 6.
Again, this was taken verbatim from my trip report (minus the stuff I did without food being involved.) I was at Epcot from early that morning with my RADP friends, and we started our noshing tour on the Canada side when World Showcase opened.
Let the grazing commence!
I skipped the Dominican Republic, and I was keeping a wide berth from Peru and the crab dish that made me pucker up. While I would have gotten a spanikopita (spinach puff pastry) from Greece, I wasn't in the mood. I had already gotten soup from Canada and wasn't in the mood for the salmon, either. It wasn't until New Zealand that I got the Lamb Slider.
Lamb Slider
This was excellent. The bun was soft, and the lamb was juicy, tender and full of flavor. I would get this item again.
Next, we stopped in France, where I got both escargot in cute li'l brioche cups, and the goat cheese tart. (If you want to be fancy, the names were Escargot Persillade en Brioche and Quiche au Fromage de Chevre.)
Escargot in Brioche cups
I tried to get a pic of the top of the brioche off to show the escargot inside, but it came out blurry. Huge shock, I know. The snails looked like mushrooms, basically. I like escargot, but I really liked them served this way in buttery brioche! 
Goat Cheese Quiche
This was da bomb. Cheesy and creamy and ready to clog some arteries, I'm sure! But I was feeling the love again.
Next was the great country of....Oklahoma?
Ok, the state was celebrating a milestone birthday and ponied up some cash to be included, I guess. I needed more meat, since I did without my meat intake the previous night, right? Of course. So I had me some rootin' tootin' good ol' buffalo.
Seared Buffalo with Scalloped Wild Onions
I am so glad I got this, because it was going to be the only buffalo I'd eat during this trip. The buffalo had a good flavor and I enjoyed the carmelized onions with it. I skipped a lot of the food offerings because I was starting to get full.
Soon we were near the Sam Adams beer tasting area in the US pavilion, and the first scheduled tasting was in about ten minutes from our arrival. Some of the group split up to meet back after the tasting. Now, I've done this before and knew that we weren't going to get a lot of beer. But I enjoyed trying the different kinds for free. And I added another Sam Adams beer opener keychain to make it a pair.
Sam Adams Beer tasting
We tried the usual Sam Adams Original and Light, along with Octoberfest and the Festival Anniversary special, now I think in its 12th year. My clear cut favorite was Octoberfest, but my RADP friends were split. Some liked the Festival beer better. Our presenter was fun and this was a nice way to pass the time.
What do you eat after sampling beer?
Debrinzer Sausage with Sauerkraut in a Pretzel Roll
This was my last offering to graze, and surprise, more meat!
The pretzel roll really made a simple German sausage dish really interesting!
Ok, now I was full and just had water while the rest of the group and I made our way to Mexico. The heat was taking its toll, and I welcomed going into the Mexico pavilion. Our group had a fun time riding the boat ride, and soon I was saying goodbye to make my way back to the Beach Club Villas to relax.
(Note: I am including this next part because those who read food reports will probably know the people I refer to in my chance encounter.)
As I made my way back through the International Gateway, I began to take my shortcut back towards the pool area elevator when I saw a familiar couple soaking up some rays by the BCV pool. It was "oybolshoi" Brenda and her DH, Jason. Because they had no freaking clue what I looked like, I decided to approach them and asked Brenda, "Hey, aren't you the freaks that like to take a stuffed Plankton to WDW to pose him for photos?"
Brenda did not attack me or run for Security. Instead, she seemed to know it was me (since she knew I would be staying at BCV too) and we talked for quite a while. After assuring her that I wasn't an axe murderer (and assuming she wasn't either), I went up to my villa to nap.
Also, I took the opportunity to take a pic of the gift I was surprising Brenda with for her birthday. Here's the birthday card and the Toblerone I purchased earlier:
While you can see the outside of the card: "It's your birthday. You should be wined and dined." The inside said: "Or at least beered and cheered."
I found that card before my trip and thought it would be perfect for her food and wine birthday trip.
After my nap, I cleaned up and grabbed a beef and brie sandwich for dinner from the Beach Club Marketplace. I didn't take a photo of it.
No, I didn't fall off the face of the planet! I'm back with more than just food reports. But that's not to say most of my report isn't food reports. It mostly is. The only downer now is that all my special events were finished after the Califoria Grill, and the rest of my Larded and Loaded Tour would be grazing the kiosks around World Showcase and dining with the Trio arriving on Day 6.
Again, this was taken verbatim from my trip report (minus the stuff I did without food being involved.) I was at Epcot from early that morning with my RADP friends, and we started our noshing tour on the Canada side when World Showcase opened.
Let the grazing commence!
I skipped the Dominican Republic, and I was keeping a wide berth from Peru and the crab dish that made me pucker up. While I would have gotten a spanikopita (spinach puff pastry) from Greece, I wasn't in the mood. I had already gotten soup from Canada and wasn't in the mood for the salmon, either. It wasn't until New Zealand that I got the Lamb Slider.
Lamb Slider
This was excellent. The bun was soft, and the lamb was juicy, tender and full of flavor. I would get this item again.
Next, we stopped in France, where I got both escargot in cute li'l brioche cups, and the goat cheese tart. (If you want to be fancy, the names were Escargot Persillade en Brioche and Quiche au Fromage de Chevre.)
Escargot in Brioche cups
I tried to get a pic of the top of the brioche off to show the escargot inside, but it came out blurry. Huge shock, I know.
The snails looked like mushrooms, basically. I like escargot, but I really liked them served this way in buttery brioche! Goat Cheese Quiche
This was da bomb. Cheesy and creamy and ready to clog some arteries, I'm sure! But I was feeling the love again.
Next was the great country of....Oklahoma?
Ok, the state was celebrating a milestone birthday and ponied up some cash to be included, I guess. I needed more meat, since I did without my meat intake the previous night, right? Of course. So I had me some rootin' tootin' good ol' buffalo.Seared Buffalo with Scalloped Wild Onions
I am so glad I got this, because it was going to be the only buffalo I'd eat during this trip. The buffalo had a good flavor and I enjoyed the carmelized onions with it. I skipped a lot of the food offerings because I was starting to get full.
Soon we were near the Sam Adams beer tasting area in the US pavilion, and the first scheduled tasting was in about ten minutes from our arrival. Some of the group split up to meet back after the tasting. Now, I've done this before and knew that we weren't going to get a lot of beer. But I enjoyed trying the different kinds for free. And I added another Sam Adams beer opener keychain to make it a pair.
Sam Adams Beer tasting
We tried the usual Sam Adams Original and Light, along with Octoberfest and the Festival Anniversary special, now I think in its 12th year. My clear cut favorite was Octoberfest, but my RADP friends were split. Some liked the Festival beer better. Our presenter was fun and this was a nice way to pass the time.
What do you eat after sampling beer?
Debrinzer Sausage with Sauerkraut in a Pretzel Roll
This was my last offering to graze, and surprise, more meat!
The pretzel roll really made a simple German sausage dish really interesting!
Ok, now I was full and just had water while the rest of the group and I made our way to Mexico. The heat was taking its toll, and I welcomed going into the Mexico pavilion. Our group had a fun time riding the boat ride, and soon I was saying goodbye to make my way back to the Beach Club Villas to relax.
(Note: I am including this next part because those who read food reports will probably know the people I refer to in my chance encounter.)
As I made my way back through the International Gateway, I began to take my shortcut back towards the pool area elevator when I saw a familiar couple soaking up some rays by the BCV pool. It was "oybolshoi" Brenda and her DH, Jason. Because they had no freaking clue what I looked like, I decided to approach them and asked Brenda, "Hey, aren't you the freaks that like to take a stuffed Plankton to WDW to pose him for photos?"
Brenda did not attack me or run for Security. Instead, she seemed to know it was me (since she knew I would be staying at BCV too) and we talked for quite a while. After assuring her that I wasn't an axe murderer (and assuming she wasn't either), I went up to my villa to nap.
Also, I took the opportunity to take a pic of the gift I was surprising Brenda with for her birthday. Here's the birthday card and the Toblerone I purchased earlier:
While you can see the outside of the card: "It's your birthday. You should be wined and dined." The inside said: "Or at least beered and cheered."
I found that card before my trip and thought it would be perfect for her food and wine birthday trip.
After my nap, I cleaned up and grabbed a beef and brie sandwich for dinner from the Beach Club Marketplace. I didn't take a photo of it. 
PrincessTiff
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2006
- Messages
- 2,595
Excellent reviews.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Yes, I've bene slooooooooowly posting. Thanks for jumping in!
Excellent reviews.
Thank you.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Day 6: Tuesday, October 16, 2007:
Earlier in the morning I did the Segway Around the World tour. I went back to World Showcase later for lunch, starting on the Mexico side.
I stopped at the Argentina kiosk for one of my favorite items, the beef empanada. But I decided the empanada wasn't the only thing there I wanted, so I got some Dulce de Leche. Yum.
Spicy Beef Empanada and Dulce de Leche
Don't let the spicy part fool you. I can't handle overly spicy "oh my lord, my mouth is in fire!" foods, but I do like a little heat, and in a hot pocket? Even better. The empanada was as good as I remembered it, and I was happy. And the dulce de leche was sweet and creamy, and I wished I could buy a regular sized version of it. It wasn't too overpowering in caramel or sweetness, either.
Next, I went to the Mexico kiosk to get another favorite, Chilaquiles.
Chilaquiles
Meat and tortillas are a staple of many dishes, but it's the tomatillo sauce that really makes this dish. And that giant glop of sour cream doesn't hurt, either.
I skipped a few kiosks and stopped at India to try a couple of items. I've never really had much Indian food before, so I was willing to give it a go.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Paratha Bread
I love soup, but I didn't love this soup, and I think the curry is to blame. I make my own butternut squash soup that I enjoy better, sad to say. I didn't finish it, but I liked the crisp bread that was used for dunking. My friends who've tried it loved the soup.
Samosa with Tamarind Sauce
I went into this dish knowing that I like tamarind flavor, and I liked this much better than the soup. However, it didn't wow me, so I probably would pass on it next time if they offered it again.
I had left Epcot to relax and clean up before heading to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.
My first order of business was to grab a bite to eat, but when I wanted to get something at Columbia Harbor House, I was denied. They closed early due to the party, so I went to the closest place I knew would be open...Pecos Bill's.
Now don't get me wrong. I like Pecos Bill's and its Toppings Bar as much as anyone, but I wanted my Anchors Aweigh (aka tuna salad sandwich). Adding insult to injury, I will swear that my cheeseburger exploded. I mean it just seemed to fall apart a bit as I was eating, making it one of the messiest burgers I've eaten. And I managed to get some mustard on my shirt while I was eating. For some reason I tend to attract stains upon my built-in shelf. But the good news was that it fell on the transfer part of my shirt and wiped off easily. Yay!
All in all, I was glad to get more food kiosks visited for lunch, and dinner was just the typical average "ok" counter service meal. And I realized while copying and pasting most of this from my trip report, I called Columbia Harbor House.....Liberty Tree Tavern. I know the difference between the two, so I'm going to blame that mind poot on posting after 1am.
Now I'm going to have to edit my trip report.
Earlier in the morning I did the Segway Around the World tour. I went back to World Showcase later for lunch, starting on the Mexico side.
I stopped at the Argentina kiosk for one of my favorite items, the beef empanada. But I decided the empanada wasn't the only thing there I wanted, so I got some Dulce de Leche. Yum.
Spicy Beef Empanada and Dulce de Leche
Don't let the spicy part fool you. I can't handle overly spicy "oh my lord, my mouth is in fire!" foods, but I do like a little heat, and in a hot pocket? Even better. The empanada was as good as I remembered it, and I was happy. And the dulce de leche was sweet and creamy, and I wished I could buy a regular sized version of it. It wasn't too overpowering in caramel or sweetness, either.
Next, I went to the Mexico kiosk to get another favorite, Chilaquiles.
Chilaquiles
Meat and tortillas are a staple of many dishes, but it's the tomatillo sauce that really makes this dish. And that giant glop of sour cream doesn't hurt, either.
I skipped a few kiosks and stopped at India to try a couple of items. I've never really had much Indian food before, so I was willing to give it a go.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Paratha Bread
I love soup, but I didn't love this soup, and I think the curry is to blame. I make my own butternut squash soup that I enjoy better, sad to say. I didn't finish it, but I liked the crisp bread that was used for dunking. My friends who've tried it loved the soup.
Samosa with Tamarind Sauce
I went into this dish knowing that I like tamarind flavor, and I liked this much better than the soup. However, it didn't wow me, so I probably would pass on it next time if they offered it again.
I had left Epcot to relax and clean up before heading to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.
My first order of business was to grab a bite to eat, but when I wanted to get something at Columbia Harbor House, I was denied. They closed early due to the party, so I went to the closest place I knew would be open...Pecos Bill's.
Now don't get me wrong. I like Pecos Bill's and its Toppings Bar as much as anyone, but I wanted my Anchors Aweigh (aka tuna salad sandwich). Adding insult to injury, I will swear that my cheeseburger exploded. I mean it just seemed to fall apart a bit as I was eating, making it one of the messiest burgers I've eaten. And I managed to get some mustard on my shirt while I was eating. For some reason I tend to attract stains upon my built-in shelf.
But the good news was that it fell on the transfer part of my shirt and wiped off easily. Yay!All in all, I was glad to get more food kiosks visited for lunch, and dinner was just the typical average "ok" counter service meal. And I realized while copying and pasting most of this from my trip report, I called Columbia Harbor House.....Liberty Tree Tavern. I know the difference between the two, so I'm going to blame that mind poot on posting after 1am.
Now I'm going to have to edit my trip report.
honeybee30
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2006
- Messages
- 998
Great reviews! All the F&W fest events look like fun, especially PftS.
kabuki
<font color=green>It's free if you pass out in the
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- Aug 29, 2005
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Thanks! I enjoyed your West Coast reports of the DCA events.
I would have had my next installment today had I not closed the window while composing a good chunk of the Signature Dinner event.
OK Lori I showed my husband your reports on the special F&W events and I think we stalked each other the whole trip! You even have the back of my head in one shot!
I am happy you still went to the Veggi Rudd event! Your pics are amazing and the night looked fantastic. I think I will have to book a wine dinner for this year! Thanks for the reviews!
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
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- 11,164
Yes. If you're going to do only one food and wine special event, it should be Party for the Senses. It's the easiest event to book without worrying about it selling out to capacity on the first day of booking. And it's a great way to try a lot of different foods and wines.
OK Lori I showed my husband your reports on the special F&W events and I think we stalked each other the whole trip! You even have the back of my head in one shot!
I am happy you still went to the Veggi Rudd event! Your pics are amazing and the night looked fantastic. I think I will have to book a wine dinner for this year! Thanks for the reviews!
ROFL! That's too funny! Now I'll get a reputation as a stalker!
Definitely book different events. I highly recommend trying as many as you can book, as long as they don't sell out in the first 10 minutes.
oybolshoi
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
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- 11,879
I agree 100% about the curry butternut squash soup ... we tried it last year and I hated it, and was really disappointed to boot.
We've started making our own here at home (thank you V&A for showing us the light) and I realized it was the curry that mucked things up for me during F&W.
The bread was tasty.
And thanks again for the birthday giftie ... you know it's something special when someone cares enough to send Toberlone. 
We've started making our own here at home (thank you V&A for showing us the light) and I realized it was the curry that mucked things up for me during F&W.
The bread was tasty.
And thanks again for the birthday giftie ... you know it's something special when someone cares enough to send Toberlone.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
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- 11,164
I agree 100% about the curry butternut squash soup ... we tried it last year and I hated it, and was really disappointed to boot.
We've started making our own here at home (thank you V&A for showing us the light) and I realized it was the curry that mucked things up for me during F&W.
The bread was tasty.
And thanks again for the birthday giftie ... you know it's something special when someone cares enough to send Toberlone.
That's it, I guess we need to stay away from curry. And it seems we need to do an Iron Chef: Butternut Squash Soup battle, too. I still have a batch in the freezer...
And Brenda, nothing's too good for your birthday, like Toblerone! I could have gotten the large, economy size. That might have made a better joke.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
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I updated Day 7 of my report in two segments on the Trip Reports board, but my food report really should be our dinner at Kona Cafe. It's redundancy time over here, but there is more to my report over there. Just sayin'.
Day 7 - Part 2: Wednesday, October 17, 2007:
When last I left off on our Magic Kingdom day, we left to relax, have some chocolate gelato at the Beach Club Marketplace, and clean up before returning for our ADR at Kona Cafe for dinner. Little did we know that the gelato would come back to haunt us later at dinnertime.
After we cleaned up, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom, and then took the boat to the Polynesian. I thought the boat ride would be a nicer ride than the monorail. Soon we were checking in for our ADR, and as we discovered, the effects of the gelato hit us. Let's just say we needed to excuse ourselves to the restroom next to 'Ohana to "decompress".
Lucky for us, our game of musical chairs didn't last very long during dinner.
As we looked at the menus, we decided to forego appetizers because we probably wanted dessert. Soon our server brought over some sweet Hawaiian bread and took our drink orders. I didn't take pics of the pull apart bread-y goodness because I was too busy slathering macadamia nut butter over it and shoving as much of it into my face as humanly possible.
However, I do have some booze photos!
My mother ordered the Island Sunset:
Welcome to Fantasy Island!
I ordered the Malibu Macaw. I love Malibu and pineapple juice, so this drink was a no-brainer for me:
I'm trying to meet my Booze Quota for the day
And my sister had the Mai Tai:
We enjoyed our drinks, but Sharon didn't want one. Her loss, I say!
I ordered the Slow Roasted Prime Rib with mashed potatoes and broccoli florets.
Glutton that I am, I cleaned my plate. I ordered it medium-rare, but I think it's more medium. But that's ok. I want pink in the meat, or I consider it too well done. The mashed potatoes were addictive, and the broccoli was neither mushy nor crunchy. I like it when it's just got a little bit of bite to it. Can we use the phrase "al dente" for veggies or will the Pasta Police come after me for hijacking their phrase? Oh, and the horseradish sauce was awesome with the steak. I love it.
Mom actually had two dinners that night. She didn't like her original choice, and being the way she is, she would suffer and eat it, but make sure we knew she didn't care for it. It was the Bamboo Steamed Ono served with watercress salad with warm shiitake soy vinaigrette and sticky rice. And here's what it looked like:
Ono! It's fish you don't wanna order!
What's wrong with this picture? Well, it's in focus, so that's a refreshing change of pace, don't you think? But the fish is just....white. And the rice....white. And Mom's comment? It's bland. I translated that as, "It's blahhhhnd. Emphasis on the blah." Sure there is some sauce on the bottom of her plate, but this just didn't thrill her.
So I took matters into my own hands because I knew she would not ask for a different meal. I knew she liked pork chops, and she almost ordered it if not for trying to branch out into different culinary territory. As it turned out, she should have gone for her first choice. So she got her second dinner when I told the server that she wasn't enjoying the fish. She got the Pomegranate Barbecued Pork Chop served on pan-roasted fingerling potatoes and applewood smoked bacon braised Swiss chard.
It was a hit. Not just a hit but the best, most tender pork chop Mom ever had in her life. She did make good use of hyperbole, but after I tasted it, I had to agree that it was delicious, and a much better choice than the "Ono! I can't believe it's fish!"
My sister got a different cut of steak, but with similar sides as mine. She ordered Beef Teriyaki (sirloin strip steak) served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes, and those yummy broccoli florets.
This was another hit, and the teriyaki glaze made her love the dish.
Sharon decided to have the Coconut Almond Chicken - sauteed chicken breast served with Asian greens tossed with honey-lime dressing, golden pineapple, strawberries, and toasted almonds.
Look how beautiful this is? The chicken looks crispy, golden brown and delicious! And the salad looked so refreshing. Sharon is a picky eater, but this dish got the thumbs up from her, too!
And then it was time for dessert and hey?? What's this? Why are they bringing a plain icky birthday cake to the table? Well, while I was visiting nature, Mom told the hostess at the podium that it was Cari's birthday, thinking they might give her a dessert. Since I wasn't there while this was going on, I don't know if the hostess suggested the cake and Mom blindingly agreed to it. I know that she did not order the cake (which they charged $12.50 to the bill), and I was disappointed. The cake wasn't inedible, but Kona has way better desserts to choose from! To be fair, it wasn't bad for a cake we didn't order.
I didn't take a photo, but it was a white cake with white icing, which insults my chocolate-lovin' soul down to the core.
Yes, I'm a chocolate snob! 
Ok, it did have chocolate Mickey faces as decorations. It's a shame that my Mom's comment ended with us being dumped with something we didn't really want. We felt it would come across as rude to tell the server to take it back.
Still, birthday dessert confusion aside, I think Kona Cafe is one of the most underrated restaurants at WDW. It's an underdog, like the Rodney Dangerfield of WDW restaurants. How many times when people ask, "Where's a great place for dinner at one of the resorts?"
People will usually answer with some of the pricier signature restaurants, like California Grill, Jiko, Narcoosee's, Artist Point, Yachtsman Steakhouse. Not many people suggest Kona Cafe right away, and it's a shame. The most expensive item on the menu was still under $30, and the quality is still wonderful.
Next: Artist Point dinner
Day 7 - Part 2: Wednesday, October 17, 2007:
When last I left off on our Magic Kingdom day, we left to relax, have some chocolate gelato at the Beach Club Marketplace, and clean up before returning for our ADR at Kona Cafe for dinner. Little did we know that the gelato would come back to haunt us later at dinnertime.
After we cleaned up, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom, and then took the boat to the Polynesian. I thought the boat ride would be a nicer ride than the monorail. Soon we were checking in for our ADR, and as we discovered, the effects of the gelato hit us. Let's just say we needed to excuse ourselves to the restroom next to 'Ohana to "decompress".
Lucky for us, our game of musical chairs didn't last very long during dinner.As we looked at the menus, we decided to forego appetizers because we probably wanted dessert. Soon our server brought over some sweet Hawaiian bread and took our drink orders. I didn't take pics of the pull apart bread-y goodness because I was too busy slathering macadamia nut butter over it and shoving as much of it into my face as humanly possible.
However, I do have some booze photos!
My mother ordered the Island Sunset:
Welcome to Fantasy Island!
I ordered the Malibu Macaw. I love Malibu and pineapple juice, so this drink was a no-brainer for me:
I'm trying to meet my Booze Quota for the day
And my sister had the Mai Tai:
We enjoyed our drinks, but Sharon didn't want one. Her loss, I say!
I ordered the Slow Roasted Prime Rib with mashed potatoes and broccoli florets.
Glutton that I am, I cleaned my plate. I ordered it medium-rare, but I think it's more medium. But that's ok. I want pink in the meat, or I consider it too well done. The mashed potatoes were addictive, and the broccoli was neither mushy nor crunchy. I like it when it's just got a little bit of bite to it. Can we use the phrase "al dente" for veggies or will the Pasta Police come after me for hijacking their phrase? Oh, and the horseradish sauce was awesome with the steak. I love it.
Mom actually had two dinners that night. She didn't like her original choice, and being the way she is, she would suffer and eat it, but make sure we knew she didn't care for it. It was the Bamboo Steamed Ono served with watercress salad with warm shiitake soy vinaigrette and sticky rice. And here's what it looked like:
Ono! It's fish you don't wanna order!
What's wrong with this picture? Well, it's in focus, so that's a refreshing change of pace, don't you think? But the fish is just....white. And the rice....white. And Mom's comment? It's bland. I translated that as, "It's blahhhhnd. Emphasis on the blah." Sure there is some sauce on the bottom of her plate, but this just didn't thrill her.
So I took matters into my own hands because I knew she would not ask for a different meal. I knew she liked pork chops, and she almost ordered it if not for trying to branch out into different culinary territory. As it turned out, she should have gone for her first choice. So she got her second dinner when I told the server that she wasn't enjoying the fish. She got the Pomegranate Barbecued Pork Chop served on pan-roasted fingerling potatoes and applewood smoked bacon braised Swiss chard.
It was a hit. Not just a hit but the best, most tender pork chop Mom ever had in her life. She did make good use of hyperbole, but after I tasted it, I had to agree that it was delicious, and a much better choice than the "Ono! I can't believe it's fish!"
My sister got a different cut of steak, but with similar sides as mine. She ordered Beef Teriyaki (sirloin strip steak) served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes, and those yummy broccoli florets.
This was another hit, and the teriyaki glaze made her love the dish.
Sharon decided to have the Coconut Almond Chicken - sauteed chicken breast served with Asian greens tossed with honey-lime dressing, golden pineapple, strawberries, and toasted almonds.
Look how beautiful this is? The chicken looks crispy, golden brown and delicious! And the salad looked so refreshing. Sharon is a picky eater, but this dish got the thumbs up from her, too!
And then it was time for dessert and hey?? What's this? Why are they bringing a plain icky birthday cake to the table? Well, while I was visiting nature, Mom told the hostess at the podium that it was Cari's birthday, thinking they might give her a dessert. Since I wasn't there while this was going on, I don't know if the hostess suggested the cake and Mom blindingly agreed to it. I know that she did not order the cake (which they charged $12.50 to the bill), and I was disappointed. The cake wasn't inedible, but Kona has way better desserts to choose from! To be fair, it wasn't bad for a cake we didn't order.
I didn't take a photo, but it was a white cake with white icing, which insults my chocolate-lovin' soul down to the core.
Yes, I'm a chocolate snob! Ok, it did have chocolate Mickey faces as decorations. It's a shame that my Mom's comment ended with us being dumped with something we didn't really want. We felt it would come across as rude to tell the server to take it back. Still, birthday dessert confusion aside, I think Kona Cafe is one of the most underrated restaurants at WDW. It's an underdog, like the Rodney Dangerfield of WDW restaurants. How many times when people ask, "Where's a great place for dinner at one of the resorts?"
People will usually answer with some of the pricier signature restaurants, like California Grill, Jiko, Narcoosee's, Artist Point, Yachtsman Steakhouse. Not many people suggest Kona Cafe right away, and it's a shame. The most expensive item on the menu was still under $30, and the quality is still wonderful.
Next: Artist Point dinner
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Looks great! And don't we all need to meet a booze quota for the day?!
Yes, I think the Booze Quota will always be a factor in a Disney trip. Just ask Brenda.
Oh, I've noticed you had your ticker for next year's food and wine. I'm going to a DLR food and wine weekend this year, but probably will not go to food and wine at WDW this year.
kabuki
<font color=green>It's free if you pass out in the
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2005
- Messages
- 1,538
Yes, I think the Booze Quota will always be a factor in a Disney trip. Just ask Brenda.
Have you been to the DLR Food and Wine event? We try and go as many weekends as time possible but WILL be at the TASTE event. I am excited to see what they do this year with it all because we saw the person in charge of last years Food and Wine weekends from DLR at some events at last years Food and Wine Fest in WDW including PFTS!
Angelrose
But I LIKE boring!
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2000
- Messages
- 4,065
I had the coconut almond chicken when we were there in December. Oh my, how wonderful it was. It was so good, I asked our server Donna to tell the chef how much I enjoyed it. My DH got the Pan Asian noodles with just the veggies and asked for some broccoli too. It was AMAZING. Kona is a wonderful restaurant. But please let's just keep it our little secret.
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