food IS a theme park
We had a case of wanderlust this week, and instead of getting out the passport and packing, we just hopped over to spend the day in Epcot. Our journey started with some time spent in Future World, followed by a trip around the World Showcase. And boy, did we find a lot new eats and buys for you on this “trip”!
Epcot
Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival
kicks off on August 31 with an epic and record-breaking number of food booths — 35 — representing cuisines and lifestyles from around the globe.
And as part of the Festival’s on-going commitment to providing awesome eats for guests of all kinds, many of the booths are featuring Gluten Free options! We expect to see lots of signage indicating the GF dishes. And of course cast members can also answer your food allergy questions.
I’m so excited that the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for August 31-November 13, when we celebrate 75 incredible days of food, wine, and more!
The festival begins earlier than ever before this year, so we’re busy preparing and planning to make the most of our time there. And I suggest you do the same!
While taking in Low Cost Seminars and Demonstrations or splurging on a Special Event or two is super fun, my favorite festival pastime is still strolling along the World Showcase Promenade and taking in both new and familiar eats and drinks at the festival Marketplace Booths.
Hops and Barley Booth
While we await news of just exactly what that means, and to see what if any new booths are announced, today we’re sharing the five booths you absolutely cannot miss at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival this year!
There’s always something fun and new to look forward to each year. And this year will be no exception. Disney promises 35 booths to celebrate 35 years of Epcot awesomeness. So far, we’re getting a look at two newly returning booths that promise to offer some delicious and exotic fare.
, last seen on the World Showcase Promenade in 2010, returns to the festival this year. Since Spain has a rich culture of beautifully prepared regional foods, we look forward to seeing this menu!
So far, we’ve confirmed a new Spain menu item, Charcuterie in a Cone. What a cool way to have your snack and stroll with it too. 😀 I’m pretty sure this plus a glass of Spanish wine will be very nice on a festival evening.
Charcuterie in a Cone from Spain ©Disney
In addition, there’s a very real chance that we’ll see variations on dishes that have been featured here before. Look for possibilities such as Seared Albacore Tuna with Romesco Sauce, Snapper Escabeche, Spanish Almond Cake, or Crema Catalana, along with some interesting Spanish wines and beer.
The holiday clock’s a-tickin’ to check this week’s #OnTheList item off the list… Pecan Maple Bark in Epcot’s Canada Pavilion is only around for the season!
Pecan Maple Bark makes its appearance at the unassuming, rustic little popcorn wagon in Canada as part of the international snack options featured during Holidays Around the World, Epcot’s celebration of holiday traditions around the globe. [Read more…]
The 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival will be here before you know it! If you haven’t already, mark your calendars for September 19 through November 10!
And around here, we think that making plans for the festival is big fun! We don’t want to miss a thing, and we know you don’t want to, either.
There are endless numbers of Special Events and Low Cost Demonstrations and Seminars. But our favorite draw continues to be the Marketplace Booths throughout World Showcase.
So today, we are kicking off our previews of this year’s Marketplace Booths with two that you’re sure to love — The new Patagonia Booth and a returning favorite, Canada.
The Patagonia Marketplace Booth, new for 2014, will combine the flavors of Chile and Argentina. While we are still awaiting our first pictures of what the new Patagonia Marketplace Booth will actually look like (soon!), we are excited to see some returning favorites from the 2013 Argentina Booth join some brand new dishes!
Fan Favorite Beef Empanadas Will Take Up Residence at the Patagonia Booth!
In addition to past favorites like the Beef Empanada, guests can enjoy wines selected from both Chile and Argentina.
We’ve tasted the Roasted Verlasso Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Arugula Chimichurri. It’s sure to be a hit with guests this year!
Salmon Quinoa Salad with Chimichurri at the NEW Patagonia Marketplace Booth
And the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée is always a crowd pleaser!
Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée
The Canada Marketplace Booth is a mainstay of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Stop here for [Read more…]
It’s here! The 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival is officially underway!
We’ve been super busy over the last couple of days, taking in low-cost demonstrations and special events. I can’t wait to share all of it with you (FYI: Parisian Breakfast = AWESOME!)!
But first, while opening weekend was a whirlwind of activity, we made it a point to check out every Marketplace Booth and try it all! It’s always our goal to do this so that YOU know which dishes are not-to-be-missed and can plan accordingly.
While this “Best of” list started out a lot longer than this, we wanted to give you a breakdown of the cream of the crop — our very favorite dishes so far from the 2013 Marketplace Booths. Some of these are returning from past years, and some are brand new! Let’s go with the Best of the Fest for 2013!
features three different waffles in their lineup this year — one savory and two sweet. This Potato Leek Waffle comes with Braised Beef that reminds me of Sunday roasts.
Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef
The waffle is delicious by itself — but top it with the braised beef and MELTED BUTTER!!!! and it’s heavenly!
We’ve been raving about the South Korea Kimchi Dog since we first sampled it at the preview event for this year’s festival. The Spicy Hot Dog (which is specially made for Epcot just for the festival!) is topped with a fresh Kimchi Slaw and drizzled with a Spicy Mustard Sauce.
Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce
It has a bit of a kick, but it’s [Read more…]
Since we’re celebrating Epcot’s 30th Anniversary TODAY, let’s take a quick look at an old World Showcase favorite!
A while back we asked you what your favorite extinct Disney foods were, and many of you responded on the blog and on facebook mourning the Canada Beaver Tails!
Beaver Tail
Today, thanks to DFB reader Mike MacDonald, we have some great Beaver Tail pics and a fun backstory from the same company that used to sell them in Epcot!
And while photos don’t fill the void completely, at least we can [Read more…]
Time to revisit a fan and Disney Food Blog Favorite: Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot’s Canada Pavilion!
You’ll remember that we visited Le Cellier last March for dinner, just after Le Cellier dinner became a signature meal on the Disney Dining Plan (meaning it now will cost you two table service credits to dine there, rather than one).
At that time, we were focused on whether the menu could really deliver an experience that was significantly different than it had been before, and whether dinner would be worth the much higher prices than you’ll find at lunch. We walked away somewhat let down by the meal — especially disappointing was the ribeye with maple butter, a flavor combo that just seemed all wrong — but we were confident that they would pull it together. We also wondered right along with you if lunch would also become a signature meal, and if dinner would continue to be a signature meal.
Fast forward a year from that first signature dinner! It’s time to see what, if any, evolution has taken place!
In the year since we last visited, only two real changes have taken place in the dining room during the Signature dinner meal. Remember those snazzy little maple leaf napkin rings that I told you about last year? Those are gone from the tables, as are the table votive candles and their pretty little holders.
If I had to guess why, I would figure that they were so cute, they proved to be irresistible to snag as a souvenir. 😉 But that same upscale, wine cellar feeling with arches, candlelight sconces, deep reds, and dark woods throughout still signal that you are someplace lovely, cozy, and probably surrounded by snow.
Dining Room
As you can see, the lack of table candles and napkin rings makes dinner pretty indistinguishable from the lunch setting.
Seating
Seating
After we were seated, our server, Gabby, greeted us cheerfully. She was wonderful from the get go! We learned that she was on her second Le Cellier tour with the International Program, and she proved to be helpful and knowledgeable as we made our choices. Of course, we started with a few drinks.
Beer Menu - click image for larger version
First up: the [Read more…]
Epcot’s Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada pavilion has changed up their lunch and dinner menus yet again. We’ve got the lunch menu for you here, but I’ve got a full review coming up for dinner very soon!
In fall of 2011, we reviewed the eats during the last menu change.
Let’s take a look at the most recent alterations! No worries — many fan favorites remain, like the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, Mushroom Filet, and Maple Creme Brulee!
Le Cellier Dining Room
Menu Items No Longer Offered [Read more…]
Thanks to Laura for the fun tip that guests booking from Latin America now have the option to choose a Disney World Free Dining package through September 2012!
Info About Free Dining From the Canadian DisneyWorld.com page
USA residents are still only allowed to book Free Dining through March 2012. But Disney long ago released Free Dining through November 2012 for UK guests and now offers Free Dining from August 19-September 29, 2012, in addition to the dates listed here, for guests from Canada and Latin America.
Canada Free Dining Dates Now Show Aug-Sep 2012 Dates
Latin American DisneyWorld.com website mentions Aug-Sep 2012 Free Dining Dates
Is this a harbinger for Free Dining in the Fall of 2012 for USA residents? What do you think?
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