The Nosh Heard 'Round the World: Larded and Loaded v2.0 (index complete!)
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BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
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You're allowed a free pass because you were busy posting your Crab Cake du Jour reviews.
I'm sure I could have made a meal out of the hoover doovers before dinner. If you listen real carefully you can still hear it baaaaring....
Brenda's got you brainwashed, my friend.
If you want a paddling, I'll send you back to her. She cornered the market on paddling. Oh it was a lot of fun! I'm glad you've found me!
I have been absent with my reports because I went to dinner for my birthday, and I won't update tonight because we're having birthday plans for my sister and me, but I will share a photo I took with my iPhone.
I regret not taking a photo of my dinner, but here's a pic of the condiment area. You'll see the salt, the pepper, the sugar...
...and the ginormous magnum of Tabasco:
I didn't play a trick of perspective. This really is a big honkin' bottle of Tabasco! If you have a Mitchell's Fish Market restaurant near you, you can see the magnum of Tabasco yourselves. (And have a nice quality dinner while you're at it!)
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Friday, October 17, 2008: The Nosh Heard 'Round the World
Well we're finally getting an update, now that things have quieted down for me a bit. It's finally Friday, and I get up to go to Epcot, where I see the new rendition of Spaceship Earth for the first time. I think I like the post-show better, sadly.
I was meeting up with the RADP newsgroup buddies again this year, those who could make it, that is. The plan was to meet at Puerto Rico, which was right outside the Canadian border, go figure. I guess someone needs remedial geography lessons.
There were about half a dozen of us roaming around, and we "found" some latecomers during the halfway point and near the end. For the sake of identifying the food, I took a photo of the signage outside the kiosk and the item I ate.
Much as I wanted to try the Mofongo based on the name alone, I went with the other dish that featured plantains -- the Pastelón de Amarillo:
Beef and Plaintain Casserole, basically:
While this was a big heaping serving that tasted ok, the only thing it could have been was warmer. I think it wasn't that great because it wasn't that warm. Meh.
After Puerto Rico, I skipped a few kiosks and waited until Lyon, France:
Normally I'd want to get the escargot and the goat cheese quiche, but I made an executive decision to pick one only to keep from getting too full too fast. The escargot won. Love those brioche cups that play Hide-the-Snails.
Snail Poppers -- Look, a Hidden Mickey!:
Yeah, I had to be cute and do the hidden Mickey of escargot. But like I said, I love these snail poppers. Highly portable and less messy than eating escargot the traditional way. You can keep all that garlicky butter stuff inside the brioche. And let's face it. Nobody would touch escargot without the Dynamic Duo of garlic and butter.
Time for the Lousiana party!
Again, I had to make a choice. I went with the crawfish etouffée.
Cajun style crawfishie:
What I unfortunately did not show you were the teensy bottles of Tabasco that were in a basket at the kiosk. I don't use Tabasco, but I regret not taking a photo of them. They were the tiniest lil' bottles of Tabasco I've ever seen (as opposed to that ginormous magnum of Tabasco I posted before this).
Anyway, mix in the rice with the base, and it was really tasty! I thought it wasn't that spicy, but those with low tolerance for spicy might find it has a bit of a kick. Those who want to hit the nuclear level on a Scoville scale will find it "mild". This was definitely a hit, and the Tabasco lovers were probably happy they could kick it up a notch. BAM! (Yeah, I just ripped off Emeril, so he gets a trademark sign slapped on his catch phrase.)
I walked through the Lousiana section and found myself highly entertained.
Ok, I think that bottle of hot sauce is the largest representation I've seen, after all.
Sign a guest book with your name and city/state, they'll give you Mardi Gras beads. You don't have to do anything remotely un-Disneyfied to get those beads, either.
And these guys on the riverboat stage were rockin' the house down with really great zydeco music. I couldn't help but dance my way out of the exit of this nice display.
On to San Francisco!
I broke with tradition here because the cast member convinced me that I needed to get the strawberry shortcake. So I did get that, along with the beef and polenta.
Beef and Polenta...or can I call them Cheese Grits?:
The beef was not overdone, and the fancy cheese grits aka polenta were smooth and creamy. This was definitely another hit for me. Yum.
Strawberry Shortcake Avalanche:
Unfortunately the cream from the dish decided that this hot day was too much to handle, so it started to melt really fast, creating a creamy avalanche for the strawberries. No matter, this was excellent! I probably should have tried to get a beauty shot from a less melty one from my fellow noshers.
While we were sitting in some shade, I decided to get a photo op with me and the wandless Spaceship Earth. I'm modelling the 2008 Festival tshirt.
But hey! We look out and see that the bridge was raised, which meant they were floating in the fireworks barges for that night's Illuminations. I turned around at the railing, zoomed in, and caught this photo:
Earth and Earth
I thought that was cool, and I have never gotten a photo like that before.
We continue on towards the Mexico pavilion, and I was starting to get full. I thought I wanted to get an order of Chilaquiles at Mexico, but the cashier told me they ran out. What?? The cooks were saying it'd be 5 minutes for the next batch, but by that time, I was not feeling like having them anymore.
So we we were almost done with the kiosks, when we arrived at the cheese kiosk, the Mouse Catch:
I definitely wanted that trio of cheese!
From left we have the Dorothea from Holland; Manchego from Spain; and Asiago from Italy. The interesting thing is that we have cheeses made from the milk of goats, sheep and cows respectively. Nice touch.
Since I was familiar with Asiago and Manchego, I saved Dorothea for last. Of course, I don't want to say the Asiago and Manchego were anything but great, because they were. But the clear winner for me was the Dorothea, and I must not be the only one. The sponsors of this kiosk, iGourmet, gave out coupons for their site. Dorothea is out of stock.
I did something out of the ordinary for me. I skipped the cheddar cheese soup in Canada. I decided to boycott it this year because I've had the soup, and it's not that special since it's available year round at Le Cellier. And they tend to short ladle the servings, where you have to ask, "Please sir, may I have some more?" like you're a street urchin out of Oliver Twist. No thanks.
I skipped a lot more kiosks than those I've tried, because I was getting full and have less of an appetite when I'm feeling hot and tired. I went to see the Storm Struck show at Innoventions, which was very cool. My plan was to head to the Magic Kingdom later because they were open until 11pm that night. I wanted to avoid EMH at Epcot.
I got to the Magic Kingdom right around the middle of the first showing of Spectromagic, and I ended up eating at Columbia Harbor House for my favorite of their tuna sandwich (Anchors Aweigh) and a cup of clam chowder. I did not take photos of those. For some reason I never do.
But I do want to say that if you eat there when the fireworks are going off, it sounds like you're in a war zone. It felt like the shells were going off on top of the building.
After dinner, I ended up getting caught in the second parade route in Frontierland. Since I was a captive audience, and there were scads of "rope spots" to view from, I caved in and watched. I didn't have much energy to do much else and left for the night.
So my noshing day overall? Very good. The only dish that didn't wow me was the first dish from Puerto Rico, but I really enjoyed the rest of the offerings. I did not regret skipping Canada, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't get Chilaquiles. Will I manage to get them? Stay tuned.
Next: Party for the Senseless.
Well we're finally getting an update, now that things have quieted down for me a bit. It's finally Friday, and I get up to go to Epcot, where I see the new rendition of Spaceship Earth for the first time. I think I like the post-show better, sadly.
I was meeting up with the RADP newsgroup buddies again this year, those who could make it, that is. The plan was to meet at Puerto Rico, which was right outside the Canadian border, go figure. I guess someone needs remedial geography lessons.
There were about half a dozen of us roaming around, and we "found" some latecomers during the halfway point and near the end. For the sake of identifying the food, I took a photo of the signage outside the kiosk and the item I ate.
Much as I wanted to try the Mofongo based on the name alone, I went with the other dish that featured plantains -- the Pastelón de Amarillo:
Beef and Plaintain Casserole, basically:
While this was a big heaping serving that tasted ok, the only thing it could have been was warmer. I think it wasn't that great because it wasn't that warm. Meh.
After Puerto Rico, I skipped a few kiosks and waited until Lyon, France:
Normally I'd want to get the escargot and the goat cheese quiche, but I made an executive decision to pick one only to keep from getting too full too fast. The escargot won. Love those brioche cups that play Hide-the-Snails.
Snail Poppers -- Look, a Hidden Mickey!:
Yeah, I had to be cute and do the hidden Mickey of escargot. But like I said, I love these snail poppers. Highly portable and less messy than eating escargot the traditional way. You can keep all that garlicky butter stuff inside the brioche. And let's face it. Nobody would touch escargot without the Dynamic Duo of garlic and butter.
Time for the Lousiana party!
Again, I had to make a choice. I went with the crawfish etouffée.
Cajun style crawfishie:
What I unfortunately did not show you were the teensy bottles of Tabasco that were in a basket at the kiosk. I don't use Tabasco, but I regret not taking a photo of them. They were the tiniest lil' bottles of Tabasco I've ever seen (as opposed to that ginormous magnum of Tabasco I posted before this).
Anyway, mix in the rice with the base, and it was really tasty! I thought it wasn't that spicy, but those with low tolerance for spicy might find it has a bit of a kick. Those who want to hit the nuclear level on a Scoville scale will find it "mild". This was definitely a hit, and the Tabasco lovers were probably happy they could kick it up a notch. BAM! (Yeah, I just ripped off Emeril, so he gets a trademark sign slapped on his catch phrase.)
I walked through the Lousiana section and found myself highly entertained.
Ok, I think that bottle of hot sauce is the largest representation I've seen, after all.
Sign a guest book with your name and city/state, they'll give you Mardi Gras beads. You don't have to do anything remotely un-Disneyfied to get those beads, either.
And these guys on the riverboat stage were rockin' the house down with really great zydeco music. I couldn't help but dance my way out of the exit of this nice display.
On to San Francisco!
I broke with tradition here because the cast member convinced me that I needed to get the strawberry shortcake. So I did get that, along with the beef and polenta.
Beef and Polenta...or can I call them Cheese Grits?:
The beef was not overdone, and the fancy cheese grits aka polenta were smooth and creamy. This was definitely another hit for me. Yum.
Strawberry Shortcake Avalanche:
Unfortunately the cream from the dish decided that this hot day was too much to handle, so it started to melt really fast, creating a creamy avalanche for the strawberries. No matter, this was excellent! I probably should have tried to get a beauty shot from a less melty one from my fellow noshers.
While we were sitting in some shade, I decided to get a photo op with me and the wandless Spaceship Earth. I'm modelling the 2008 Festival tshirt.
But hey! We look out and see that the bridge was raised, which meant they were floating in the fireworks barges for that night's Illuminations. I turned around at the railing, zoomed in, and caught this photo:
Earth and Earth
I thought that was cool, and I have never gotten a photo like that before.
We continue on towards the Mexico pavilion, and I was starting to get full. I thought I wanted to get an order of Chilaquiles at Mexico, but the cashier told me they ran out. What?? The cooks were saying it'd be 5 minutes for the next batch, but by that time, I was not feeling like having them anymore.
So we we were almost done with the kiosks, when we arrived at the cheese kiosk, the Mouse Catch:
I definitely wanted that trio of cheese!
From left we have the Dorothea from Holland; Manchego from Spain; and Asiago from Italy. The interesting thing is that we have cheeses made from the milk of goats, sheep and cows respectively. Nice touch.
Since I was familiar with Asiago and Manchego, I saved Dorothea for last. Of course, I don't want to say the Asiago and Manchego were anything but great, because they were. But the clear winner for me was the Dorothea, and I must not be the only one. The sponsors of this kiosk, iGourmet, gave out coupons for their site. Dorothea is out of stock.
I did something out of the ordinary for me. I skipped the cheddar cheese soup in Canada. I decided to boycott it this year because I've had the soup, and it's not that special since it's available year round at Le Cellier. And they tend to short ladle the servings, where you have to ask, "Please sir, may I have some more?" like you're a street urchin out of Oliver Twist. No thanks.
I skipped a lot more kiosks than those I've tried, because I was getting full and have less of an appetite when I'm feeling hot and tired. I went to see the Storm Struck show at Innoventions, which was very cool. My plan was to head to the Magic Kingdom later because they were open until 11pm that night. I wanted to avoid EMH at Epcot.
I got to the Magic Kingdom right around the middle of the first showing of Spectromagic, and I ended up eating at Columbia Harbor House for my favorite of their tuna sandwich (Anchors Aweigh) and a cup of clam chowder. I did not take photos of those. For some reason I never do.
But I do want to say that if you eat there when the fireworks are going off, it sounds like you're in a war zone. It felt like the shells were going off on top of the building.
After dinner, I ended up getting caught in the second parade route in Frontierland. Since I was a captive audience, and there were scads of "rope spots" to view from, I caved in and watched.
I didn't have much energy to do much else and left for the night.So my noshing day overall? Very good. The only dish that didn't wow me was the first dish from Puerto Rico, but I really enjoyed the rest of the offerings. I did not regret skipping Canada, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't get Chilaquiles. Will I manage to get them? Stay tuned.
Next: Party for the Senseless.
DisneyMom5
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2003
- Messages
- 4,567
Great update! 
You make even snails sound good. I like garlic and butter. Probably not enough to eat snails though. LOL
Great shot of the Earth and the Earth!
Looking forward to more!
You make even snails sound good. I like garlic and butter. Probably not enough to eat snails though. LOL
Great shot of the Earth and the Earth!
Looking forward to more!
onelilspark
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2008
- Messages
- 7,166
On to San Francisco!
I broke with tradition here because the cast member convinced me that I needed to get the strawberry shortcake. So I did get that, along with the beef and polenta.
Beef and Polenta...or can I call them Cheese Grits?:
The beef was not overdone, and the fancy cheese grits aka polenta were smooth and creamy. This was definitely another hit for me. Yum.
Strawberry Shortcake Avalanche:
Unfortunately the cream from the dish decided that this hot day was too much to handle, so it started to melt really fast, creating a creamy avalanche for the strawberries. No matter, this was excellent! I probably should have tried to get a beauty shot from a less melty one from my fellow noshers.
San Fransisco was our favorite booth
My friend and I did F&W in two trips. On the first day, we shared a beef & polenta and the shortcake. When we went back on the second day, we weren't going to repeat anything except San Fran! And we both got our own beef and shortcake! YUM!
John's Mom
Jambo Wildbunch Gang
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- Jun 20, 2004
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- 4,024
Great reviews and pics! 
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2007
- Messages
- 5,083
That beef and polenta looks heavenly! How on earth did I miss this?? 
Hopefully they have it next year.
Hopefully they have it next year./
ty&brenmom
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2006
- Messages
- 232
Yum, you are making me wish that I could go during the food and wine (though I would be afraid that they would have to roll me onto the plane)
Great reviews.
Great reviews.
wilma-bride
<<This space intentionally blank>>
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- Jul 13, 2005
- Messages
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Just realised that I have read and not commented - so rude. Excellent reviews Lori - you have a way of making the most unappetising (to me) food items sound delicious. The Jiko diner looked lovely but that lamb seemed way undercooked
Very nice F&W update. That cheese polenta looked and sounded amazing. That is one of my all-time fave dishes so I would have so been there.
Those itty-bitty bottles of Tabasco were originally designed for the military's MREs (meals ready to eat). All of the food in them is gross so the Tabasco actually adds flavor. They're also handy to carry in your purse for those instances when you need a bit of an extra kick. Each tiny bottle holds 1/8 oz. of fiery goodness (and yes, I did spend summers growing up in New Orleans so Tabasco is king.)
Those itty-bitty bottles of Tabasco were originally designed for the military's MREs (meals ready to eat). All of the food in them is gross so the Tabasco actually adds flavor. They're also handy to carry in your purse for those instances when you need a bit of an extra kick. Each tiny bottle holds 1/8 oz. of fiery goodness (and yes, I did spend summers growing up in New Orleans so Tabasco is king.)
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Great update!
You make even snails sound good. I like garlic and butter. Probably not enough to eat snails though. LOL
Great shot of the Earth and the Earth!
Looking forward to more!
You know, garlic and butter can make almost anything sound good.
Thanks for the kudos.
San Fransisco was our favorite booth
I found it difficult to restrain myself from repeating anything when I went back another time. My goal was to try a lot of items, but I just didn't have enough time to devote to it. And I didn't have a Designated Food-Sharing Partner to make it easier to try more things. I did make Catherine try my wattleseed cake (the last day of my report-to-be) just because it was unusual to us.
Great reviews and pics!
Thanks! I'll be doing lots of pics on the next report, too. I hope I don't have to split up the review into two.
That beef and polenta looks heavenly! How on earth did I miss this??
You didn't have me there as your Midwesterner Beef Beacon. (Yes, I'm trademarking stuff I come up with off the top of my head!) If there's a cow to be eaten, I'll be there.
Well, I didn't quite look like Violet Beauregard when I was done, but at times I felt like her.
If the only things you experience at food and wine are the kiosks and maybe a food or wine demo or two, most people will enjoy that aspect of the festival. I think everyone should try it once. Hopefully they'll wish to return. Just realised that I have read and not commented - so rude. Excellent reviews Lori - you have a way of making the most unappetising (to me) food items sound delicious. The Jiko diner looked lovely but that lamb seemed way undercooked
Aww, you're so sweet. I'm not Brenda. You won't get a paddling for not commenting.
I read the next comment as, "You make gross food sound appealing." 
And I think the camera didn't do the lamb justice. It did look rarer in the photo perhaps with a shadow? You get the Professor Ludwig von Drake
Award for teaching me (and well, anyone who read that) about the origins of the teensy Tabasco! It was interesting and informative. Awesome.
Disneygrl36
Happy DVC member!!!!
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2004
- Messages
- 4,269
How did I miss that you had this report?
Hi Lori
Can't wait to meet you soon on our Dec trip!!!!!!!!!!
The food has looked devine & I love that you got to spend time with so many of your DIS friends (even when you didn't know they were DIS friend yet).
I also have to give a little
to a friend I see commenting on your thread.
Hi ya Chris aka a fat english gent. We had the pleasure of sailing 
together last year.
Hi Lori
Can't wait to meet you soon on our Dec trip!!!!!!!!!!The food has looked devine & I love that you got to spend time with so many of your DIS friends (even when you didn't know they were DIS friend yet).
I also have to give a little
to a friend I see commenting on your thread.Hi ya Chris
aka a fat english gent. We had the pleasure of sailing together last year.
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Saturday, October 18, 2008:
It's time to get senseless! By that I mean Saturday night was Party for the Senses, which lends itself to the parody title of Party for the Senseless. But only if you are tasting more wine than food, mmmhmm.
Now I have been a veteran of this particular event, and I know what I'm getting myself into. Unfortunately that means you'll find yourself mimicking the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, and the partygoers are the bulls. The poor cast members will be those insane guys running for their lives.
I had intended to hold back a bit and avoid that this year, but that idea got tossed because I wanted to greet Catherine and her mom, so I could give them the wine lanyards before the event started. To my surprise, I found Catherine, along with some locals I had not seen in a couple of years. It was great seeing them. I did also see a few of the people I knew from the Jiko dinner, but unfortunately did not see SamSam.
Why? There were 1500 freaking people at this event. It was not only sold out to the general public, but there were comps given out as Dreams prizes and others who were VIPs. I had never been to a PFTS that had been sold out, and I did feel there was a bigger crush of people. Bad move, Disney.
So the giant wooden doors of World Showplace opened, and the bulls started to run to get the plates and glasses. And then by the time we were ready to be led inside the building, I could hear the proverbial "bull in a china shop" a few times, as I heard glass shattering here and there.
And once you're inside the next bullpen, the real running for tables start. I did not participate in that, but a guy in our group did, mainly because Catherine's mom really could use a seat. My friends who went to the Jiko dinner had a mobility issue, too. So having a table helped two members of our group. For a good portion of the time I had not used my seat at the table, but I did sit there for when I visited stations near our table.
My strategy that worked great last year wasn't so great this year, because of the sold out venue. I had decided to zig-zag my way to every station starting from the back, which wasn't too terrible, actually. I started in the blue section in the back again and worked my way forward.
But this year, I did something smarter. I took photos of the signage of the food before getting the food, so I could identify what I had much better. Let's begin!
I love pot stickers, but those are usually just pork filled. I love goat cheese and portobello mushrooms, so what could be better?
It didn't knock my socks off, but I found it tasty.
When I saw the sign, I knew I had to try it.
I know my photos of the foods aren't doing them justice, but this was another dish that was fairly good.
Woot! I had to try this, because I know that those guys and gals at Jiko can COOK!
Melt in your mouth gooooooood.
I wasn't sure how powerful the pepper would be, but I wanted to give it a go.
Yes, they did have a peppery kick, and I enjoyed them. However, I know that they probably could have been too much for some. I think this is one of those dishes that could be a hit or miss depending on how much "kick" your palate can handle.
I didn't find this memorable. I think it was ok.
Now we're talking! I always love trying foods that are out of the ordinary for most people. Ostrich fits into that category.
This was a beautiful dish, one of my favorites. Very meaty, and not gamey like most people might think.
You know what's sad? I thought the jambalaya at the kiosk in World Showcase was just as good, if not better. The chef was nice and personable, but unfortunately he didn't wow me.
By this time, I had my routine down to a science. Photograph the sign, grab the dish, position it on any nearby table, snap!, take it off the table and eat. While there are people who doggedly guard their tables, standing or otherwise, most people who saw my intentions of just taking a photo of the food were not threatened by my presence in the slightest. As long as you don't show signs of trying to horn in on their territory, they are not going to bite your head off.
At one station, one guy saw me taking a a photo of the sign and had his own "V-8 Moment" (or Homer Simpson "D'oh!" Moment, take your pick). He had been trying to write down the dishes to remember what he ate and thought my photos were a great idea. I did mention that he could just as easily make sure he gets one of those menu brochures that finally did list all the food items. (The brochures from the previous two PFTS did not have the menu items listed.)
I know what you're thinking. Sci Fi? They have chefs??? Yes, they do. But they have to follow recipes set by the food and beverage guidelines, so they can't do anything remotely fancy.
The tuna was pretty good, but I really liked that corn cake.
And this was one of my favorite dishes of the night. Cajun comfort food?
Everything tasted like stuffing to me, but really good stuffing. Well, everything except that obvious piggie in the middle. Heh. I don't know why I liked it so much, but I did.
Another exotic dish I was looking forward to trying.
Unfortunately, the pheasant sausage had very little flavor, and it was slightly rubbery. Bummer.
If I hadn't had the best piece of swordfish ever at Jiko two days prior, this would have been perfectly good swordfish. Unfortunately it paled by comparison. And I found the pickled eggplant too pungent and a bit nasty.
Because I still have loads more pictures to share, I have to make a Party for the Senseless Part Deux! I'll be working on it right after I post this, not 3 days later! See you in a few!
It's time to get senseless! By that I mean Saturday night was Party for the Senses, which lends itself to the parody title of Party for the Senseless. But only if you are tasting more wine than food, mmmhmm.
Now I have been a veteran of this particular event, and I know what I'm getting myself into. Unfortunately that means you'll find yourself mimicking the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, and the partygoers are the bulls. The poor cast members will be those insane guys running for their lives.
I had intended to hold back a bit and avoid that this year, but that idea got tossed because I wanted to greet Catherine and her mom, so I could give them the wine lanyards before the event started. To my surprise, I found Catherine, along with some locals I had not seen in a couple of years. It was great seeing them. I did also see a few of the people I knew from the Jiko dinner, but unfortunately did not see SamSam.
Why? There were 1500 freaking people at this event. It was not only sold out to the general public, but there were comps given out as Dreams prizes and others who were VIPs. I had never been to a PFTS that had been sold out, and I did feel there was a bigger crush of people. Bad move, Disney.
So the giant wooden doors of World Showplace opened, and the bulls started to run to get the plates and glasses. And then by the time we were ready to be led inside the building, I could hear the proverbial "bull in a china shop" a few times, as I heard glass shattering here and there.
And once you're inside the next bullpen, the real running for tables start. I did not participate in that, but a guy in our group did, mainly because Catherine's mom really could use a seat. My friends who went to the Jiko dinner had a mobility issue, too. So having a table helped two members of our group. For a good portion of the time I had not used my seat at the table, but I did sit there for when I visited stations near our table.
My strategy that worked great last year wasn't so great this year, because of the sold out venue. I had decided to zig-zag my way to every station starting from the back, which wasn't too terrible, actually. I started in the blue section in the back again and worked my way forward.
But this year, I did something smarter. I took photos of the signage of the food before getting the food, so I could identify what I had much better. Let's begin!
I love pot stickers, but those are usually just pork filled. I love goat cheese and portobello mushrooms, so what could be better?
It didn't knock my socks off, but I found it tasty.
When I saw the sign, I knew I had to try it.
I know my photos of the foods aren't doing them justice, but this was another dish that was fairly good.
Woot! I had to try this, because I know that those guys and gals at Jiko can COOK!
Melt in your mouth gooooooood.
I wasn't sure how powerful the pepper would be, but I wanted to give it a go.
Yes, they did have a peppery kick, and I enjoyed them. However, I know that they probably could have been too much for some. I think this is one of those dishes that could be a hit or miss depending on how much "kick" your palate can handle.
I didn't find this memorable. I think it was ok.
Now we're talking! I always love trying foods that are out of the ordinary for most people. Ostrich fits into that category.
This was a beautiful dish, one of my favorites. Very meaty, and not gamey like most people might think.
You know what's sad? I thought the jambalaya at the kiosk in World Showcase was just as good, if not better. The chef was nice and personable, but unfortunately he didn't wow me.
By this time, I had my routine down to a science. Photograph the sign, grab the dish, position it on any nearby table, snap!, take it off the table and eat. While there are people who doggedly guard their tables, standing or otherwise, most people who saw my intentions of just taking a photo of the food were not threatened by my presence in the slightest. As long as you don't show signs of trying to horn in on their territory, they are not going to bite your head off.
At one station, one guy saw me taking a a photo of the sign and had his own "V-8 Moment" (or Homer Simpson "D'oh!" Moment, take your pick). He had been trying to write down the dishes to remember what he ate and thought my photos were a great idea. I did mention that he could just as easily make sure he gets one of those menu brochures that finally did list all the food items. (The brochures from the previous two PFTS did not have the menu items listed.)
I know what you're thinking. Sci Fi? They have chefs??? Yes, they do. But they have to follow recipes set by the food and beverage guidelines, so they can't do anything remotely fancy.
The tuna was pretty good, but I really liked that corn cake.
And this was one of my favorite dishes of the night. Cajun comfort food?
Everything tasted like stuffing to me, but really good stuffing. Well, everything except that obvious piggie in the middle. Heh. I don't know why I liked it so much, but I did.
Another exotic dish I was looking forward to trying.
Unfortunately, the pheasant sausage had very little flavor, and it was slightly rubbery. Bummer.
If I hadn't had the best piece of swordfish ever at Jiko two days prior, this would have been perfectly good swordfish. Unfortunately it paled by comparison. And I found the pickled eggplant too pungent and a bit nasty.
Because I still have loads more pictures to share, I have to make a Party for the Senseless Part Deux! I'll be working on it right after I post this, not 3 days later! See you in a few!
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
Welcome to part deux (Electric Boogaloo?) of my Party for the Senses Report. If you somehow missed the first part, you can find it on my handy direct link index on my first post on page 1.
My last report I left off at the swordfish dish that didn't thrill me. Let's continue onward!
Looks like I'll get to try some Mofongo after all.
You see all that sauce? It drowned out my food. I was really disappointed in this dish and did not like it at all. They poured that sauce all over it before serving. Another bummer.
It's time for a truffles and cheese interlude! I had to do this because I wanted something sweet by this time, and I didn't want to be so full to enjoy them.
Cinnamon, Ginger and Ancho Chile truffles. Yum, yum, and yuuuuum. The station had Truffle Pushers who would force you to take truffles whenever you passed by. I couldn't say no to them. Would you be able to resist them? I doubt it.
I know. This looks pathetic. A slice of Humboldt Fog with a lonely li'l fig. I did this because I really didn't want to fill up on cheese, either. I totally missed the other cheese table not knowing there were other varieties I wanted to try. Live and learn.
Tami was the friendliest chef at the party. She was cooking her dumplings in traditional dim sum bamboo steamers. I should have taken a photo of that setup.
Pardon the stains on the table. Heheh. The dumpling was really tasty! I love Asian foods, and I guess I'm more than a little biased.
And now we're going to one of the best dishes of the night, IMHO. Duck!
This was just lovely. Mushroom risotto went really well with this.
And now we're coming to a dessert that defies description, it was so complex. Jaconde is this cake, layered with the cream, sort of like a trifle parfait.
If I had been hard pressed to describe the flavor, I couldn't. I just knew that it was really good, and not too sweet. This is a dish you say, "Wow!" over.
Here's my second meat dish that was ruined for me by another evil sauce. It makes my Midwestern meat-loving soul cry a little inside. Heh.
They ruined a beautiful piece of buffalo by what my friend called "tartar sauce". Bleh. I wish if I weren't starting to feel like Mr. Creosote again, I would have returned to the prime rib station and buffalo station and asked them to leave off the sauces.
Remember this guy? My new BFF from Kitchen Conversations? He knows how to make a mean salmon.
This was loads better than the salmon at the other event, mostly because it was not cumbersome to get it to the gluttonous masses as the event dish was. Robert was out from behind the station, talking to fans and taking photos. He did a cute flirty pose with a woman who turned out to be his wife, and I talked with her a few moments as I was enjoying his dish. She's just as nice as he is.
I already posted this picture, but here I am with Pam Smith, the hostess of many of the paid events. I always say that the Food and Wine Festival just wouldn't be the same without her, and I mean it. I'm sporting that wine lanyard, too. It really came in handy that night. I had been working the party hands-free for the wine, and many of the chefs were really intrigued by it.
This is a dish that failed on so many levels, but the presentation? Fabulous.
Look! They bring those bowing and scraping servers from Tokyo Dining to serve you!
The difficult part? Trying to eat it. You couldn't cut it with fork and knife easily, and I didn't want to outright pick it up. I couldn't help it and did so. The taste? Just like that chicken roll deli meat my mom used to get from the supermarket when I was a kid.
I've now hit the exotic fowl trifecta! Ostrich, pheasant, now quail.
Objects in the photo are tinier than they appear
You'd think by the photo I was eating half a chicken, but this was quail, and very tiny. Tastes like chicken. Had to say it, sorry.
That's it for the food. I didn't take photos of the wines I tried, but I did manage to make my way around trying different varietals.
Overall, I enjoyed the event as I had in previous years, and considering that there were items I didn't actually try (yes, I couldn't quite get to all of them!), you really do get a lot of food and wine for the money. Unfortunately, the crowd levels were worse that night than in the past, and it does affect the atmosphere. I didn't even mention the entertainment, a sort of Cirque Lite. The only smart thing they did this year was move the performer areas off to the side. This made more room for more tables, and they did need them all.
Unfortunately, there were not enough tables, to the detriment of many people. I did hear about an incident, although I didn't witness it, of an altercation where an older woman took a chair away from a table occupied by people who needed it, didn't ask if it was ok to take it. A man from the first table came over to her and picked up the chair with her already in it, dumping her to the floor! Security stepped in and threatened them both with a visit to the local authorities if they didn't smarten up and behave.
Egad, I'm glad I missed that drama.
Would I return to the Party? Sure. Most of the time I'm wandering about, so I really don't need a table. I wore comfortable shoes, so being on my feet the entire time won't bother me. But I would understand if a first time attendee would skip this event. Unfortunately it was a bit chaotic at the start, but as time went on, it was more manageable to deal with it.
Others who attended the Party the same night as me have reported how horrible this event was, and I don't agree. Yes, there are many things wrong with the opening time of the event, but as long as Disney doesn't oversell this event, it's actually more enjoyable. Really. If you want to avoid the Pamplona Effect, hang back a bit and let the bulls run in front of you. Wear comfortable shoes, and don't stress out if you don't have a table.
My last report I left off at the swordfish dish that didn't thrill me. Let's continue onward!
Looks like I'll get to try some Mofongo after all.
You see all that sauce? It drowned out my food. I was really disappointed in this dish and did not like it at all. They poured that sauce all over it before serving. Another bummer.
It's time for a truffles and cheese interlude! I had to do this because I wanted something sweet by this time, and I didn't want to be so full to enjoy them.
Cinnamon, Ginger and Ancho Chile truffles. Yum, yum, and yuuuuum. The station had Truffle Pushers who would force you to take truffles whenever you passed by. I couldn't say no to them. Would you be able to resist them? I doubt it.
I know. This looks pathetic. A slice of Humboldt Fog with a lonely li'l fig. I did this because I really didn't want to fill up on cheese, either. I totally missed the other cheese table not knowing there were other varieties I wanted to try. Live and learn.
Tami was the friendliest chef at the party. She was cooking her dumplings in traditional dim sum bamboo steamers. I should have taken a photo of that setup.
Pardon the stains on the table. Heheh. The dumpling was really tasty! I love Asian foods, and I guess I'm more than a little biased.
And now we're going to one of the best dishes of the night, IMHO. Duck!
This was just lovely. Mushroom risotto went really well with this.
And now we're coming to a dessert that defies description, it was so complex. Jaconde is this cake, layered with the cream, sort of like a trifle parfait.
If I had been hard pressed to describe the flavor, I couldn't. I just knew that it was really good, and not too sweet. This is a dish you say, "Wow!" over.
Here's my second meat dish that was ruined for me by another evil sauce. It makes my Midwestern meat-loving soul cry a little inside. Heh.
They ruined a beautiful piece of buffalo by what my friend called "tartar sauce". Bleh. I wish if I weren't starting to feel like Mr. Creosote again, I would have returned to the prime rib station and buffalo station and asked them to leave off the sauces.
Remember this guy? My new BFF from Kitchen Conversations? He knows how to make a mean salmon.
This was loads better than the salmon at the other event, mostly because it was not cumbersome to get it to the gluttonous masses as the event dish was. Robert was out from behind the station, talking to fans and taking photos. He did a cute flirty pose with a woman who turned out to be his wife, and I talked with her a few moments as I was enjoying his dish. She's just as nice as he is.
I already posted this picture, but here I am with Pam Smith, the hostess of many of the paid events. I always say that the Food and Wine Festival just wouldn't be the same without her, and I mean it. I'm sporting that wine lanyard, too. It really came in handy that night. I had been working the party hands-free for the wine, and many of the chefs were really intrigued by it.
This is a dish that failed on so many levels, but the presentation? Fabulous.
Look! They bring those bowing and scraping servers from Tokyo Dining to serve you!
The difficult part? Trying to eat it. You couldn't cut it with fork and knife easily, and I didn't want to outright pick it up. I couldn't help it and did so. The taste? Just like that chicken roll deli meat my mom used to get from the supermarket when I was a kid.
I've now hit the exotic fowl trifecta! Ostrich, pheasant, now quail.
Objects in the photo are tinier than they appear
You'd think by the photo I was eating half a chicken, but this was quail, and very tiny. Tastes like chicken. Had to say it, sorry.
That's it for the food. I didn't take photos of the wines I tried, but I did manage to make my way around trying different varietals.
Overall, I enjoyed the event as I had in previous years, and considering that there were items I didn't actually try (yes, I couldn't quite get to all of them!), you really do get a lot of food and wine for the money. Unfortunately, the crowd levels were worse that night than in the past, and it does affect the atmosphere. I didn't even mention the entertainment, a sort of Cirque Lite. The only smart thing they did this year was move the performer areas off to the side. This made more room for more tables, and they did need them all.
Unfortunately, there were not enough tables, to the detriment of many people. I did hear about an incident, although I didn't witness it, of an altercation where an older woman took a chair away from a table occupied by people who needed it, didn't ask if it was ok to take it. A man from the first table came over to her and picked up the chair with her already in it, dumping her to the floor! Security stepped in and threatened them both with a visit to the local authorities if they didn't smarten up and behave.
Egad, I'm glad I missed that drama.
Would I return to the Party? Sure. Most of the time I'm wandering about, so I really don't need a table. I wore comfortable shoes, so being on my feet the entire time won't bother me. But I would understand if a first time attendee would skip this event. Unfortunately it was a bit chaotic at the start, but as time went on, it was more manageable to deal with it.
Others who attended the Party the same night as me have reported how horrible this event was, and I don't agree. Yes, there are many things wrong with the opening time of the event, but as long as Disney doesn't oversell this event, it's actually more enjoyable. Really. If you want to avoid the Pamplona Effect, hang back a bit and let the bulls run in front of you. Wear comfortable shoes, and don't stress out if you don't have a table.
oybolshoi
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2004
- Messages
- 11,879
Hey Lori! I really enjoyed your PFTS review ... good gawd ... 1500 people?! That's just wrong ... shame on Disney for over-stuffing the event that night.
I loved the martini glass truffles ... too cute!
And I don't send Jasper out to paddle people for not posting on my thread ... he only paddles people who misbehave.
PS. I think I missed it by a couple of days, but Happy Birthday!!!
I loved the martini glass truffles ... too cute!
And I don't send Jasper out to paddle people for not posting on my thread ... he only paddles people who misbehave.
PS. I think I missed it by a couple of days, but Happy Birthday!!!
BriarRosie
<font color=blue>Creator of Tag Fairy Haiku:<br>Cl
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2002
- Messages
- 11,164
How did I miss that you had this report?
Hi Lori
The food has looked devine & I love that you got to spend time with so many of your DIS friends (even when you didn't know they were DIS friend yet).
I also have to give a little
Hi ya Chris
Wow, I feel like we're friends twice removed or something.
Glad you made it over. I pushed myself into getting the big fat party review up.
great PFTS review
I'm glad, but boy, I realize now just how much I pigged out in 3 hours! LOL!
Hey Lori! I really enjoyed your PFTS review ... good gawd ... 1500 people?! That's just wrong ... shame on Disney for over-stuffing the event that night.
I loved the martini glass truffles ... too cute!
And I don't send Jasper out to paddle people for not posting on my thread ... he only paddles people who misbehave.
PS. I think I missed it by a couple of days, but Happy Birthday!!!
I agree that Disney should never have stuffed the event, but they did beef up the security. The martini glass truffles did rock, and thank goodness nobody here gets a paddling.
And now we're back to being the same age again.
Thanks again.
DisneyMom5
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2003
- Messages
- 4,567
I know that it's all about the money, and I kind of hope that people shy away for a year or so, so that WDW evaluates WHY, but I really doubt that will happen, and they will continue to shove as many people as possible into every event they host. Sigh.
Food sounded good though!
Food sounded good though!
1500 is too many for that type of event unless they take out all tables. We have tasting events here and there just aren't any tables so there is no mad dash. It's made for a much more pleasant evening overall.
Food looked great but it sounds like it looked better than it tasted. The truffles look and sound yummy, though!
Food looked great but it sounds like it looked better than it tasted. The truffles look and sound yummy, though!
TDC Nala
1937, what a year that was
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
- Messages
- 59,190
I know that it's all about the money, and I kind of hope that people shy away for a year or so, so that WDW evaluates WHY, but I really doubt that will happen, and they will continue to shove as many people as possible into every event they host. Sigh.
Food sounded good though!
Nope. I'm booking one next year. But one only, not two like this year.
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