Larded and Loaded Tour: F&WF 10/11-20 Complete!

[BriarRosie]

I started doing my trip report at where else, the Trip Reports Board. I've only completed Day 3 of my 10 day trip. However, I thought that most of my report is about food, so I will import and edit the non-food stuff out of this report to make it, uh, palatable for this board.

Welcome to the Larded and Loaded Tour!

Who am I? My name is Lori, pleased to meet you. I started the trip solo, but I was meeting up with some internet friends (RADP newsgroup, VMK players) at various times throughout the trip. My first four days had been filled with food and wine festival special events. I was expecting my mother, sister and mom's friend (hereby known as The Trio) on the Tuesday following my arrival.

If you want a little more than that, please follow the link in my signature for the full report. To save myself some time, I'm copying my thoughts from the report verbatim, so lots will be redundant if you follow my link.

Don't say I didn't warn you. Ok, here we go!

Day 1 : Thursday, October 11:

Part 1: Food and Wine Festival kiosks and a food demo at the Odyssey

I arrived, checked in at Beach Club Villas, and headed to Epcot to sample and wander a bit. It's 11:45 and I walk towards the UK and Canada. I stop and get the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup and the Maple Custard with Almond Crumble:

As you can see, they don't believe in full cups of soup, but if I had pushed the issue, I'm sure I could have had the cast member top it off for me. It was slightly too thick from sitting around too long, and saltier than I would have wished, but it still had the same Canadian goodness I remembered from Le Cellier. As for the maple custard, I would have liked 4 more of those babies and I would have gone to town all over that action.

I stopped at Peru next. I ordered the Causa de Cangrejo (potato patty covered in a crab salad) and Arroz con Pato (Rice with Duck). They gave me the hot item first, the duck:

This was delicious. Sure, there was some liquid on the bottom of the plate, but the duck and rice were hot and flavorful. Yum.

Next was the potato with crab:

This dish was not so good. The crab had tasted like an entire bottle of vinegar was dumped on it, overpowering it for me, and the potato cake was pretty hard to cut into. I did manage to eat a good bit of it, but I found this to be a big disappointment for me.

Turned off by the crab dish, I picked up a Festival Guide on the way to World Showcase Plaza. I looked at my watch and noticed it was 12:35pm, and the next Odyssey cooking demo was at 1pm. I thought I was getting The Flavors of the Levy Restaurants, but instead, I got Neil Connolly, of Doc's Restaurant in Orlando.

Here's Neil and Pam Smith, the MC for the event:

Neil told us some stories about working for the Kennedys, of course to promote his book about working in the Kennedy kitchen. We also found the recipe in front of us for what he was making:

Lobster Stew!

Jackpot, baby! Oh, you want a photo of the stew? Certainly...

This was not only fabulous and rich, but there were huge chunks o' lobster throughout. I can imagine paying $12 for this as an appetizer in a restaurant, but it was FREE! This is why going to the cooking demos can be rewarding. It certainly made up for the pungent crab I had at Peru! Instead of a too-bright overexposed shot of the lobster, I have a slightly blurry shot of a chunk on my spoon to give you an idea.

I was a bit thirsty so I stepped into Club Cool for free drinks.

Before you ask, no...I didn't have the Beverly, but that doesn't matter. I'm immune to the allegedly awful effects. Seriously, I'd make a great shill for the unsuspecting, because I don't taste how awful it's supposed to be. And I skipped Mezzo Mix from Germany this time, too. I just wasn't in the mood for it. My favorite has to be the Vegemeatavitamin...er...VegiBeta from Japan. China's is ok, but a little too sweet for me.

Part 2: Dinner at Raglan Road

I was meeting my friends Bruce and Marta (RADP friends) for dinner at Raglan Road, which was new to me. I always like having a "new to me" place to eat at WDW, and I've covered most of the restaurants at least once because of this. Needless to say, I was excited. I couldn't believe how big a crowd there was, and we still waited about 25 minutes after my ADR time. They sat us right next to the band's stage, and I was secretly hoping to avoid the entertainment. I was afraid it would be too loud, as it was already loud in the place.

I started out with the Four Provinces beer flight. Sorry, all the pics were somewhat blurry due to low light levels. The dessert pic came out best because I switched up the way I took the photo.

Murphy's Red, Harp, Smithwick's and Guinness

I had Murphy's there before, (didn't say I haven't had a beer there, I just haven't eaten there!), but Smithwick's and Guinness were actually new to me. I was always intimidated by dark beer, but who knew I actually liked Guinness! I won't be afraid to order that at the Rose and Crown pub!

I had the Paddy's Pork, which our server said was the best item on the menu.

This was delicious, and the leeks and potatoes complimented it perfectly.
The slightly sweet glaze made the dish. Here's the aftermath:

Marta had the Pie in the Sky (chicken and mushroom pie)

That looked awesome, and I might want to try that next time.

Bruce had the Keen Eye for the Shepherd's Pie:

Sorry for the horrid photo. In hindsight, I'm really glad I didn't order this, because this dish will come back in a surprising way later in the trip!

They shared the calamari appetizer and later, these trio of Panna Cotta desserts:

That didn't spark my interest. I had my eye on the bread and butter pudding I heard so much about. Normally, I like getting desserts with chocolate, but I made an exception this night, and I'm glad I did. I loved the sauces for the pudding, and I couldn't finish it. It was pretty huge:

Isn't that a thing of beauty? It arrived hot, and it was probably illegal in 36 states. The server said it's the most popular item on the menu, and I can believe it. I saw servers walking many of these babies around the restaurant while we were eating our dinners. I have to give Raglan Road a for a great meal. And I've heard plenty of stories about tortoise-slow service, but our server was quick and friendly.

Don't want to search for the updates? Check out my index!

Day 1 (Oct 11)

Day 2 (Oct 12)

Day 3 - Part 1 (Oct 13)

Day 3 - Part 2 (Oct 13)

Day 4 - Part 1 (Oct 14)

Day 4 - Part 2 (Oct 14)

Day 5 (Oct 15)

Day 6 (Oct 16)

Day 7 (Oct 17)

Day 8 (Oct 18)

Day 9 (Oct 19)

Day 10 (Oct 20)

Final Thoughts

 

[BriarRosie]

Day 2: October 12, 2007: South African Wine Event

Please Note:
I've decided to leave the report for the evening's events unedited, because I'm reviewing pretty much the event and sharing some fun things that happened during the event.

I arrived early to check in for my wristband on the lagoon side across from World Showplace, and I wandered towards the gate, where I saw my friends Bruce and Marta (RADP). I knew they were going to the event, so I had planned to enjoy it with them and our other RADP friends, Sean and Pam. But there was a girl that was sitting and talking to Bruce and Marta, and I discovered it was a DIS person: yearbook50 (Meli).

So my friends and I adopted Meli for the evening, and I must say I had a very good time with her and my friends! Here's a picture of:

When Lori Met Meli...

Now on to the event!

The entrance to the building showed this sign.

Here's a photo of the the first entryway, followed by the overview of the room and the band that played. The band was pretty loud most of the night, but they were very good and set a festive tone.

I knew from past events that the ceiling banners were not just decorations, but color-coded for the Party for the Senses event. Because PFTS is so huge, there's a menu brochure and a color-coded listing of where to find the dishes served. You're looking at what appears to be the Red section, but it had no bearing on the South Africa Wine event. I figured that they had to keep the room more or less set up for the Party For the Senses.

Ok, I digress. We quickly got a large table off the to left side of the venue, and most of us did a quick stroll around to get a feel for where the food and the wine stations were. It was to our surprise that all the food stations were along the ride side of the room, and each station was really not separated enough. So if you wanted to bypass one line and go to the next, most people would think you're cutting in line.

I started with one of my favorite stations, but mostly due to one dish. It was not the Pap with Sheeba Sauce that did it for me, but it was tasty:

It wasn't the Lentil Bastilla (triangular pasty filled with a lentil mixture - you'll see it on my plate later). What inspired me to call this the best station?

Bacon-wrapped Scallops, baby!

Here they all are co-existing on my first plate of food:

The tomato "sheeba" sauce really made the pap dish, and the lentils in the puff pastry were delicious. But the scallops were special. Isn't everything better when wrapped in bacon?

I continued to stuff my face silly in between samples of the wine. I noticed that the pours for me were way stingy compared to what my friends received. I secretly think the wine servers liked Meli better! I had a mission to try wines I've heard of, but never tried before, like Pinotage. I must have tried a few different varieties of that, but my favorite was from Long Mountain winery.

Ok, enough about the wine, here's more food!

Here's some sliced flat-iron steak, Durban chicken, and spinach couscous.

I liked the meats, but I felt the couscous was a little flat in the flavor department. Maybe I just got a bad batch, as I've seen others comment how good it was.

My picture of the plate of shrimp on rice was a bit blurry, but here's the dish at the serving table:

It was delicious and one of the best dishes at the food tables.

You see this line? It was pretty much what you'd see if you stood in line for the cheese table. But picture the 20 other people behind them that didn't fit into my lens frame. The line was seriously long all night, and the cheeses served were not unusual nor South African. Last time I checked, Tillamook cheddar was a product of Oregon.

Here's a pic of the cheese:

Before you ask, the pink cheese was a port wine cheddar, and you'll find brie, muenster, gorgonzola and cheddar around. There were some fruits and crackers around, as well. Why do you think this was one of the most popular tables?

Two words: No desserts.

That's right. I always want something sweet after having something savory, and the cheese table wasn't my idea of dessert. The event cast members were venturing a guess that they had no desserts because they had no dessert wines offered. Ok, I guess I'll buy that. But I would have loved Animal Kingdom Lodge to export some of those highly portable, extremely poppable desserts to the event.

I would have killed for a Zebra Dome. Well, not really, but I do like my dessert!

Anyway, the night was filled with a few other surprises. A nice couple from Minnesota shared our table for a moment, and it was really nice to talk to them about their trip and how they've been enjoying themselves. They told my friends and I that they had received Dream Pin Lanyards from the Dream Squad that day, and they shared their story with Meli and me.

They had no clue about pin trading or how rare it was to get a dream pin lanyard. So they traded one pin from each of their lanyards to a cast member. A second cast member refused to trade with them and cautioned them that they shouldn't trade their pins, as they aren't sold anywhere. So I discussed pin trading and how sad I thought it was that they traded their first pins instead of keeping them.

I didn't think of it much as the couple drifted off to enjoy the event. But as the event was winding down, I was taking some photos of the food stations when the couple found me again. They told me that they are not interested in the pins, but they knew I would enjoy them. They gave me their two dream lanyards with pins, one for me, and one for Meli! I refused to accept them at first, but they insisted I keep them. They have a little boy that's too young to appreciate collecting pins just yet, and they wanted Meli and me to have them. I think they wanted Meli to have the extra lanyard due to talking about her upcoming Disney wedding.

I quickly found Meli and told her, "You are not going to believe this, but we just got dreamed!" I gave her the lanyard and the story, and we both couldn't believe how cool it was to get a dream from not the Dream Squad, but by another guest.

Overall, I liked the event well enough, but I think they need to re-think the setup of the food stations and offer dessert if they run this event again!

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm really enjoying your reviews. Keep them coming!

BTW: I agree with you, everything does taste better with Bacon!

 

[disneyquilter]

Just found your food review and LOVE it!

And yes, EVERYTHING tastes better wrapped in bacon

Keep the wonderful reviews comin'!

 

[maiziezoe]

Great reviews! Can't wait to read more!

 

[Minniespal]

Brillant

 

[Disney owl]

great photos thanks

 

[BriarRosie]

I'm really enjoying your reviews. Keep them coming!

BTW: I agree with you, everything does taste better with Bacon!

Just found your food review and LOVE it!

And yes, EVERYTHING tastes better wrapped in bacon

Keep the wonderful reviews comin'!

Ok, ladies, looks like we have a few bacon fans around here! And the bacon-wrapped scallops were small enough to pop 'em like candy.

Great reviews! Can't wait to read more!

Brillant

great photos thanks

I'm happy that you're enjoying the report so far. In my trip report, I mused that it's like the Reese's "you've got your chocolate in my peanut butter/you've got your peanut butter in my chocolate" debate. My report is like a trip report with a strong emphasis on food, or it's a food report with park touring thrown in.

And just you wait. I've got more blurry food photos.

 

[BriarRosie]

I'm breaking my third day into two parts, with the first part being pretty skimpy on purpose. The second part will be Party for the Senses.

Day 3: Saturday, October 13:

I started my morning at the Studios with some of the RADP friends, and the plan was to eat lunch at the Dolphin before heading for a big meet and greet with other RADP friends.

We left the park to go to the Dolphin for lunch, so we'd be eating at Picabu when they opened their lunch specials at 11:30am. I had never eaten there before, and I was really pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I will be returning there whenever I want a meal that might feed a small nation. I'll explain...

I ended up with a decent sized meal, but when I saw what BigBrian (his RADP and podcast title) got as his lunch special, I had to photograph the evidence. I ordered the chicken pot pie, and it's a thing of beauty:

I knew it was going to be good when the flaky puff pastry had that crispy sound as my spoon broke into the top. Mmmmm. This was probably one of the best chicken pot pies I've had. The pot pie wasn't available for me to take to my table, so they gave me a number and delivered it when it was ready.

BigBrian had lasagna for lunch. But since he was able to get two sides with his meal, he ordered more carbs in the form of stuffing. He redeemed himself with green beans:

That's a LOT of food, baby! I later saw Caren's enchiladas and realized Picabu really means "Land of the Large Portions" in some exotic language. I don't usually frown at larger portions, unless I'm at Walt Disney World, and I don't want to have any leftovers. So unless I am really hungry, I'd probably want to split a meal here. I didn't want a huge meal because I knew I'd be pigging out later at Party for the Senses.

Stay tuned. My Party for the Senses post will be much bigger!

 

[BriarRosie]

After the Dolphin lunch and RADP meet and greet outside at plaza by the International Gateway entrance to Epcot, I had to leave to meet with my VMK player friends at the Magic Kingdom. I rushed back to BCV to clean up and meet some of the RADP friends at the Party for the Senses, which is where I start now:

Day 3: Part 2: Party Party Party!

I must warn you that my camera often doesn't like taking food porn. I think it's too modest or something. Some pics come out great, while others are a blurry mess. But I'll post the blurry pics, too...but I'll let you know what the items are.

I was running late getting ready for Party for the Senses. I cleaned up and walked over to the World Showplace, where I discovered the doors were opened:

Does this look familiar?

I knew the colorful jellyfish hangings were there to guide people to their tastings if the read the color coded menu brochures...which change from Party to Party. If they went to the red jellyfish on 10/13, they would have found the Hong Kong-style Duck Bun or the Coriander-seared Tuna with an Asian Salsa, along with wines and spirits listed in that section of the menu/brochure.

Anyway, I had arrived at around 6:15pm, and the mad dash to scramble over those weaker than you to claim a table had occurred. People already have claimed tables, and I went to the back of the room hoping my friends found a large table. Unfortunately, the large tables were in the middle of the room, and the back of the room did not have them this year. So some people were at the standing tables while others were at the four-top tables with what Bruce described as "Ninja Attack Chairs".

When I arrived to join my friends, a lady took a tumble to the floor! She was attacked by one of the stealth ninja chairs. I don't know whose bright idea was to cover the chairs in black linen in a dimly lit room. Our chairs were claiming a few casualties that night, but not to the extent of the poor woman who took a dive to the floor. (She was ok, thank goodness!)

So I greeted my friends, and got down to some serious Larded and Loaded time! This year, I was going to try to sample things systematically, instead of wandering aimlessly, seeing an item as I passed by and not being able to find it later. I managed to try items at every colorful jellyfish station, but not every item on the menus. I also left my friends for long periods of time, not returning to the back of the room very often. I would actually do what the event was meant to do: Mingle with the crowd. I found standing tables around for the purposes of photographing my food, and I'd often chat with the people I'd find there.

The middle of the room was set up with a large stage so the Cirque performers could entertain the crowd:

Ok, enough about the atmosphere, time for the food!

Since I was at the back of the room, I started with the Blue station.

Here's a deconstructed Reuben sandwich:

This was listed as Corned Beef Reuben Spring Rolls. It was wild because it looked like an Asian dish, but you have the sauerkraut and thousand island dressing sauce there to make it taste like you were eating a Reuben. I though it was clever and very tasty.

Have you been to Raglan Road? Perhaps this looks familiar:

Yes. It's Keen Eye for the Shepherd's Pie. When I went to Raglan Road a couple nights earlier, I had ordered a different entree, and I was grateful. I wanted to try this dish, so I was able to get a mini-sample at the Party. Bruce was a bit disappointed because he ordered that as his dinner that night. I do agree that most Disney chefs (although RR is not Disney but an operating participant) will make something not found at their restaurants to make PFTS something special. While I thought the dish was tasty, it was also a cop out for the chef.

What's in this blurry pic?

That's supposed to be Wild Mushroom Risotto with a Port Wine Sauce. The blobs on top were real, honest-to-goodness wild mushrooms. This was one of my favorite items of the event. Loved it. Glad I got to it early while I was not full.

BBQ Shrimp Scampi with Black Pepper Potato Puree

Mmmmmm. Shrimp. Unless it's overcooked, I don't think it's possible to mess it up.

I skipped the Causa at the last Blue station because I was still dealing with issues from the Causa I ate at the Peru kiosk. That's the potato thing with crab on it. But I did try their booze and dessert items.

Booze: Pisco Sour. Dessert: some Caramel fluffy thing I can't recall the name of:

I liked the caramel thing, but the drink was just ok. People in Peru seem to love it, I guess.

And the last item in the Blue area:

Mango & Ginger-marinated Pan Seared Salmon served over Cocunut-infused Boniato Mash with a Papaya Chipotle Salsa.

Wow! There was a lot going on in this dish. This is what Party for the Senses is all about. There was a party going on in my mouth, and I was invited to enjoy it.

Here's where I ventured off away from my friends. It was time to start conquering the colorful jellyfish around the room. The blue section was more like the back perimeter of the room. And away I went to the Green jellyfish...

Roasted Karabuta Pork Tenderloin and Braised Pork Cheeks with Rutabaga, Turnip Cabbage Wine Kraut

The pork was tender, which is always a plus. I don't think I found any dishes that I hated.

Who says dessert must come after all the savories?

This was Chocolate Decadence Cake with Marscapone Ice Cream. It was so good that I did get more of it later on in the evening. To my delight, this station shared a winery with a wine I knew would go perfectly with this:Banfi Rosa Regale! I didn't take a pic of the wine, but you can buy a glass of this stuff at the Italy pavilion any time you want. And it goes really well with chocolate, my favorite food group.

Grilled Quail with Fresh Figs, Caprino Cheese and Rocket Salad

If I said this tasted like chicken, I will get tons o' well-deserved abuse thrown at my head. But quail does. Taste like chicken. Yes, this was tasty, but it didn't "wow" me.

Lobster Bisque Espuma

Woohoo, Lobster Bisque Shooters!

This dish was by a chef familiar to many people from the Chicago area. Rick Tramonto. He and his ex-wife (a pastry chef) have some well-known (and expensive!) restaurants in the area. What can I say? This was another item you can easily down more than one.

This came out more like a foam at first, because Rick was using a CO2 canister to propel it out, sort of like whipped cream in a can. How many of you have squirted whipped cream into your mouth before? I am not ashamed to admit that I have done it. Yes, a part of me was secretly wishing Rick would squirt some Lobster Bisque into my mouth!

Königinpastetchen

Gesundheit! Yes, welcome to the longest, most mispronounced item at the Party. It's Mini Vol-au-Vent with Veal Ragout. Walter Staib who cooks at the City Tavern in Philadelphia made this dish. He threw a German name on it, then described it in French. Which was all a fancy name of puff pastry with meat and sauce. So I decided to call it the Veal Pot Pie. I would enjoy having the full sized version of this dish. Even if it does sound like a Volkswagen ad-copy catch-phrase.

Time for the Purple jellyfish area!

Name That Blurry Mess:

This was supposed to be Sun-dried Tomato and Garlic-crusted Ostrich Medallion layered with Truffle-scented White Bean Puree and Jicama, Red Onion and Cilantro Salad. And I thought it was "just ok". I think my piece of ostrich was overcooked a bit, but the rest of the items were fairly tasty.

Beef Short Rib with Truffle Mashed Potatoes and Seared Scallops

Now this is a nice mini version of surf and turf! The entire dish was rich with flavors, and the short rib and scallop were not overdone. The potatoes went well with both items. This was also among my favorite dishes.

There were only a couple of things I got from the Pink station...

Mongolian Voodoo Lamb Lolli-chop with Mint Air and Pomegranate Blueberry Caviar, Sweet Pickled Cabbage

I think this deserves the Most Pretentious Description Award.

You can see the fruit "caviar", and the "mint air" looks like someone hocked a giant loogie on the lamb. I'm not a huge fan of the pretentious foams for this unappetizing reason! Although as far as loogies go, it was a breath of minty air! (Ducking for cover...) Truly, this dish was ok, but for the most part, it's just a mini lamb chop.

And what else would I not pass up at the Pink booth?

Yeah, chocolate truffles. These were the kind that the fancy chocolatiers like to make nowadays. They put unusual things into them. The ones I chose were: Sea Salt; Green Tea; Ancho Chile. They were great, and the best way for me to try these without worrying that I would hate them and waste my money. I liked the little bit of heat that came after you ate the ancho chile one. It was a surprise that I really enjoyed.

And now the Red jellyfish! I was getting somewhat full by this time, but I soldiered on! I only got one of the Red items, because there was only one that I found appealing, and I still needed to conquer the Yellow jellyfish.

Hong Kong-style Duck Bun, XO Flavor, White Soy Syrup

My first thought was that these would make great party food for sure! I would love to be able to go into my freezer and pop some of these babies into the oven for a snack. The duck wasn't greasy, and it was delicious!

Here we are, at the Yellow jellyfish, the last one of the night!

Tea-smoked Scallop nestled in a Celeriac Slaw, Heirloom Apple Brandy Sauce

I thought the smoky flavor and sauce made this a great scallop.

Red Wine-braised Elk Stew with Herb-buttered Black Tie Orzo, Roasted Tomato Jam and Sour Cream Drizzle

I haven't had elk before, but I expected it to be gamey like venison. I'm not a fan of venison for that reason. This was slightly gamey to me, but not to the extent of venison. It was ok.

And Party for the Senses wouldn't be the same without this beauty:

Sam Adams Utopias

This is the most alcholic beer in the world, and it tastes more like cognac. I love the pretty "I Dream of Jeannie" bottle it comes in. Yes, I know it's a replica of an old-fashioned brewers' kettle. I think this retails for something in the $150-200 per bottle range. How else would I get a chance to taste this stuff?

That brings me to the recap of the event. When you think about it, there aren't a lot of places where people could try such a wide variety of things like they could at this event. I believe most people haven't been able to say they've eaten quail, elk and ostrich, all in one night. As you can see, many items were prepared in ways you'd find at places like Victoria and Albert's, and you're paying about the same for this event as a night out there.

But, the real value is that for each food item I reviewed, each station also had various wineries represented, and you could try as many different wines as you wanted. I didn't even cover the breads and cheeses, either! I did try quite a few wines, and I was slightly tipsy, even after all that food I ate!

And it was interesting to hear how others liked/didn't like the items. While I thought the tea-smoked scallop was good, my friend thought it tasted like tobacco! She told me it just goes to show you how different palates taste food.

When you're leaving the party, the cast members wait at the exit with bags for guests to carry their souvenir wine glasses to take home. I dropped my glass off in my room and headed to the bus stop to catch up with friends at the Adventurers Club as usual.

Next: Day 4: Dreams, Sweets, Mix-Ups, and Who Knew I Liked Vegetarian Food?

 

[maxiesmom]

Awesome pictures, even the blurry ones.

We have another thing we like in common, besides the bacon. Rosa Regale. Yummy! Luckily, I have found that a local supermarket carries it, and I have been know to down a bottle when I need something sweat and bubbly.

So if you had to pick one, which was your favorite item at the Party? Good grief, does that sound to anyone else like the silly kids show that talks about having a party in your tummy?

 

[taylorl25]

Loving your reviews. Party for the senses sounds fantastic and something I would absolutely love to do, really disappointed I didn't go when I was across there in September!

 

[John's Mom]

Thanks for the great reviews and pictures. I consider chocolate a major food group and love Rosa Regale.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Wow! The Party for the Senses looked like lots of fun. I can't wait to read more reviews.

 

[TheDISneyFamily]

What's in this blurry pic?

That's supposed to be Wild Mushroom Risotto with a Port Wine Sauce. The blobs on top were real, honest-to-goodness wild mushrooms. This was one of my favorite items of the event. Loved it. Glad I got to it early while I was not full.

[Beef Short Rib with Truffle Mashed Potatoes and Seared Scallops

Now this is a nice mini version of surf and turf! The entire dish was rich with flavors, and the short rib and scallop were not overdone. The potatoes went well with both items. This was also among my favorite dishes.

These two dishes would do it for me. Yum. Party for the Senses won me over. No question. Yes, there are some flaws - but nothing you can't overcome. It sounds like you did it right this year, Lori. I hope to follow your lead and get to more stations next year. I just made our DVC reservations for next October, so we're all set.

Thanks for the report!
Take care,
Michelle

 

[my3disneygirls]

Anyway, the night was filled with a few other surprises. A nice couple from Minnesota shared our table for a moment, and it was really nice to talk to them about their trip and how they've been enjoying themselves. They told my friends and I that they had received Dream Pin Lanyards from the Dream Squad that day, and they shared their story with Meli and me.

They had no clue about pin trading or how rare it was to get a dream pin lanyard. So they traded one pin from each of their lanyards to a cast member. A second cast member refused to trade with them and cautioned them that they shouldn't trade their pins, as they aren't sold anywhere. So I discussed pin trading and how sad I thought it was that they traded their first pins instead of keeping them.

I didn't think of it much as the couple drifted off to enjoy the event. But as the event was winding down, I was taking some photos of the food stations when the couple found me again. They told me that they are not interested in the pins, but they knew I would enjoy them. They gave me their two dream lanyards with pins, one for me, and one for Meli! I refused to accept them at first, but they insisted I keep them. They have a little boy that's too young to appreciate collecting pins just yet, and they wanted Meli and me to have them. I think they wanted Meli to have the extra lanyard due to talking about her upcoming Disney wedding.

I quickly found Meli and told her, "You are not going to believe this, but we just got dreamed!" I gave her the lanyard and the story, and we both couldn't believe how cool it was to get a dream from not the Dream Squad, but by another guest.

WOW! How sweet of them to think of you two, knowing that you would appreciate the lanyards more then they would.

And yes, everything is better with bacon. Which is why I rarely keep it in the house or else I would be eating bacon three times a day.

 

[BriarRosie]

Day 4: Sunday, October 14:

After my Larded and Loaded night at the Party for the Senses, and a late night as usual at the Adventurers Club, it was refreshing to be able to sleep later than usual. My Sweet Sundays event at the Odyssey in Epcot didn't start until 10:30am, so I had plenty of time to get ready.

I headed into Epcot through the International Gateway near 10am, and walked towards Future World. There's a path that leads toward the Odyssey when you leave World Showcase Plaza, and I was surprised to discover the Dream Team for the first time! I didn't know what their costumes looked like, but I was at the right place at the right time, so I was awarded a Dream FastPass!

Here I am savoring the moment:

I knew that my chances of getting awarded a Dream anything were slim, so I thought my trip was totally made when I got this Dream. But, because I'm such a geek, I didn't use any of my FastPass! I wanted to keep all the tabs intact. People might think I'm weird for wanting a pristine, unused Dream FastPass, but then I read Brenda's (oybolshoi on the DIS) trip report.

As I made my way to wait in line and check in for the event, I told the people in line that the Dream Team was giving Dream FastPasses nearby. You should have seen the people scatter like bugs! As I waited in line, Amy showed up a few minutes later, where we both were handed our table assignment cards.

Peach table assignment card

For those who don't know what a Sweet Sundays event is, it's one of the Food and Wine Festival events. It's somewhat pricey, but you get a nice breakfast/brunch buffet and the guest chefs demonstrate three (yes three) desserts that you get to eat. Our guest chef, well chefs, were Greg Case and Keri Fisher. They wrote a book called One Cake, One Hundred Desserts.

Last year, I read Brenda's food report about this event. Let's just say that her experience (and probably many other people's experience) must have influenced the table assignments this year. It went smoothly. This was what was waiting for us at our tables:

We had a packet of the dessert recipes, a nice lined notebook and wine stopper courtesy of the sponsors, Martini and Rossi. You couldn't help but notice the sponsorship when you entered the buffet:

The line wasn't terribly long, and people could use both sides:

We were handed a glass of Prosecco as we headed back to the table.
I had fresh fruit, a chocolate and mango bread, breakfast potatoes, a ham and cheese frittata, and two big honkin' links of sausage.

Everything on the plate was tasty, and after I cleaned my plate, I paid attention to the show kitchen stage. Pam Smith hosted and interviewed Greg and Keri while they worked:

The premise of their cookbook is that they could take a "base" cake recipe and use it 100 different ways to create their desserts. They made all their desserts using the base recipe. The first dessert was called Coffee and Doughnuts. Gotta love the presentation:

Coffee and Doughnuts

The joke is that you're getting the coffee inside the dessert. They tasted mostly of cinnamon to me, because I was drinking coffee with it. I think the coffee I drank masked the hint of coffee I was supposed to detect in the doughnuts. But they were tasty. And the chocolate espresso beans were a nice touch to the presentation.

Next was a holiday dessert, a Sicilian Cassata, a cannoli type cake. The only thing that bothered me was that the Disney chefs preparing our desserts took liberties with the presentation, so instead of a rectangular layered cake with the layers of sweet ricotta filling, they gave us the cake in a dome shape, with the ricotta filling piped into the bottom.

Sicillian Cassata

Yes, it was delicious. But I would have loved trying the actual cake the chefs were making. I gave them a pass because they were serving my favorite food group.

The last dessert was Mexican Chocolate Cake. Here is a picture of it:

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Now, I have had a dessert made at a Lunch and Learn (chef Rick Bayless) a few years ago that featured Mexican chocolate. Rick's brownie was sinful and delicious. This chocolate cake? Not so much. It was a little dry and didn't taste much like chocolate to me as I would have liked. It had more of a spice cake taste. I liked this dessert the least of the three.

After the event, Amy and I wandered around World Showcase for a bit, starting with Mexico. I wanted to go on the boat ride, and I actually find I like it better with the Three Caballeros in it.

As we got to Germany, I stopped to pick up my surprise birthday gift for Brenda's birthday on the 17th. I bought her some Toblerone, because she related a pretty funny story in a previous triip report about receiving it as a gift. So I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give her a gag gift later in the trip.

As Amy and I walked into Japan, we were curious to see if Teppan Edo / Tokyo Dining would open soon. So we walked up to the stairs leading to the restaurant, and we decided to see. Sure enough, they were taking guests on a walk up basis. So we decided to have some sushi!

As you walk in, you can see a large, inviting space that used to be closed off as Tempura Kiku:

And we were greeted and bowed to by no less than a half dozen friendly Japanase ladies as we passed the check in area:

In fact, we were seated near the check in area, and every few minutes we would hear them offering their greetings to each and every person passing by, bowing every time. It was getting to be pretty comical.

Here are some pics I took of the tables near the window, and the view outside (if I bent forward enough to not have the people at the window in my photos):

Even the menu and the table settings were pretty:

I ordered miso soup, an unagi roll (yes, that's fresh water eel, folks) and a glass of plum wine.

Miso Tasty!

I just loooooooove miso soup. I have to have it every single time I'm in a Japanese restaurant. I could easily drink a quart of this stuff.

Unagi roll

Plum Wine

I really can't say much about the sushi, except I found it just as tasty as my favorite sushi back home. I enjoyed it very much.

After we finished our sushi, the ladies bowed and said their salutation in unison again, and I tried not to giggle. I took some photos of the Teppan Edo side of the restaurant. There are many rooms side by side, with lots of tables in each room. Here's what the inside of the rooms look like:

They did a really nice job on the renovations of the restaurant, I think. I would definitely want to have sushi at Tokyo Dining again, and I would also want to try Teppan Edo, since I liked it when it was Mitsukoshi.

I had a nice rest in the afternoon, as I was gearing up for the food and wine Signature Dinner at the California Grill....coming up next.

 

[BriarRosie]

Awesome pictures, even the blurry ones.

We have another thing we like in common, besides the bacon. Rosa Regale. Yummy! Luckily, I have found that a local supermarket carries it, and I have been know to down a bottle when I need something sweat and bubbly.

So if you had to pick one, which was your favorite item at the Party? Good grief, does that sound to anyone else like the silly kids show that talks about having a party in your tummy?

Well, it's a good thing you like blurry photos!
It's pretty common to find that a lot of people really love Rosa Regale. I have yet to find someone to post, "Ewwww, that swill is revolting!" (And I'm waiting for some snarky person to do just that. Heheheh) My favorite item at the Party for the Senses? Probably the Lobster Bisque shooter. Unless you didn't catch the longing in my post after I compared it to shooting Reddi Whip into your mouth. And I did have a party in my tummy, so it's all relative.

Loving your reviews. Party for the senses sounds fantastic and something I would absolutely love to do, really disappointed I didn't go when I was across there in September!

PFTS isn't for everyone. There's a lot of moving around, and a possessiveness over the tables with seats. If you go in with the intention of moving around from table to table, instead of fighting for a seat, I think that might be more enjoyable for most. The food is always fantastic, and it's still reasonably priced. The first time I did this event, it was a huge bargain. They've raised the prices to match what it should cost now.

Thanks for the great reviews and pictures. I consider chocolate a major food group and love Rosa Regale.

Woot! Welcome to my world.

Wow! The Party for the Senses looked like lots of fun. I can't wait to read more reviews.

Thanks! It's been a little slow going lately, but I'm ready to post more soon!
I just posted the first part of Day 4.

These two dishes would do it for me. Yum. Party for the Senses won me over. No question. Yes, there are some flaws - but nothing you can't overcome. It sounds like you did it right this year, Lori. I hope to follow your lead and get to more stations next year. I just made our DVC reservations for next October, so we're all set.
Thanks for the report!
Take care,
Michelle

This year I went to the beat of my own drummer, while in the past, I made the long trek back to my table. I felt it was just too much backtracking and easy to get distracted. I did abandon my friends, but I managed to catch up with them after a while.

WOW! How sweet of them to think of you two, knowing that you would appreciate the lanyards more then they would.

And yes, everything is better with bacon. Which is why I rarely keep it in the house or else I would be eating bacon three times a day.

Getting a "dream" from another guest was one of the highlights of my trip. I never imagined I'd get dreamed twice. And bacon is another major food group, next to chocolate.

Thanks for reading, I'll be posting lots more!

 

[oybolshoi]

Hooray for Lori and her food reports!!

I am ever-so-pleased that the Sweet Sundays organizers have learned from their past mistakes and good gawd do those desserts look yumptious!

I take this thread to mean that you are feeling better? Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday to you!

 

[BriarRosie]

Hooray for Lori and her food reports!!

I am ever-so-pleased that the Sweet Sundays organizers have learned from their past mistakes and good gawd do those desserts look yumptious!

I take this thread to mean that you are feeling better? Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday to you!

Yes, I was thinking that you would have really appreciated the changes to the event this year. And yes, I'm feeling better. I update my report on the TR board and schlep the pertinent tasty bits here. And thanks for the belated birthday.

But I'm glad you're around, because people on your "damned" report are ready to send out the hounds to search for you for an update!