food IS a theme park
What’s up, Disney pals? Today we’re excited to bring you What’s New at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And we’ve got photos of all that great Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge merchandise!
Welcome to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Disney’s Polynesian Resort is currently undergoing a major refurbishment that’s affecting several areas throughout the resort.
From a food perspective, we are very much looking forward to an updated Captain Cook’s sometime this summer, the addition of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto in 2015, and the Pineapple Lanai kiosk for a Dole Whip fix anticipated to open later this year.
Captain Cook’s Refurbishment Sign
One change unconnected to the refurbishments, however, has been more immediate. Several weeks ago, ‘Ohana – arguably the Polynesian’s most popular Table Service restaurant – removed Chicken Skewers from the menu.
While there have been no further removals, we wanted to let you know how the menu has been refreshed in light of that change.
The Entrance to ‘Ohana
Refreshed ‘Ohana Menu
Meal Starters still include ‘Ohana Pineapple Coconut Bread and Mixed Greens with a Lilikoi Dressing.
‘Ohana Bread
‘Ohana Mixed Greens
One new item has been added to the Appetizers: Vegetable Lettuce Wraps with a Hoisin Ginger Sauce join the Pork Dumplings tossed in a Garlic Ginger Sauce.
‘Ohana Pork Dumplings
A new heading has been added the menu as well [Read more…]
2011 Hawaii Booth
We’re counting the days until the Epcot Food and Wine Festival officially opens!
Come see us at WDW Foodie Fest at the Beach Club on October 2nd between 11am-1pm!
Do you enjoy food? Meeting with other Disney Food Fans? Scavenger hunts? Games? Stop by our WDW Foodie Fest events happening throughout the week from October 2-8!
Our Main Event, open to everyone, FREE, and serving Mickey Bars and other snacks, happens on October 2, 2011! See the schedule of events here!
We’re honored that our newest Mini-Guide is getting such positive reviews! Thanks to Magical Kingdoms for this quote!
Whether you’ve visited the Food and Wine Festival before or not, you’ll find useful information in this mini guide. …[The] format means it’s perfect for reading on the go, and taking with you to the parks for instant reference whilst at the Food & Wine Festival. …The guide is simply bursting with information and tips to help you get the most from the Food & Wine Festival.
! Thanks again to Magical Kingdoms!
WDW for Grown-ups
asked their readers to chime in on their “can’t miss” Disney restaurants! Is yours included??
A Wedding Cake Blog gives us a dose of adorableness with this Mickie and Minnie cake topper!
Disney Hipster Blog inspires a new way to drink around World Showcase — introducing the Epcot Shandy!
Main Street Gazette does an awesome and thorough review of the Liberty Inn vegetable burger! Looks yum.
Epcyclopedia notes that Splitsville, the new bowling/dining/entertainment center in Downtown Disney, will begin construction soon!
Daydreaming Disney! shares how her WDW food passion was inspired by the Disney Food Blog! (Thanks, Emma!)
Disney Parks Blog highlights a new dining experience at House of Blues in Disneyland!
Le Cellier gradauted its dinner menu to a Signature Dining option earlier this year (see our review here), but that wasn’t the end of the changes!
Our good friend Andy from Eating (and Drinking) around WDW recently sent over these photos of the new lunch menu at Le Cellier, which has been spiffed up a bit to accompany the restaurant’s new ‘spensive dinner menu.
Lunch Menu -- click for larger version
Gone are the Grilled Sirloin Salad and the Open-Face Canadian Cheese Steak Sandwich, replaced with a Crispy Fried Steak (roasted peppers, field greens, boursin cheese sauce (hubba hubba!!), and potato salad) and Le Cellier’s Steak and Potato Skillet (Beef tenderloin, mushrooms, and [Read more…]
Reader Ellen D. and her son headed over to Downtown Disney’s Paradiso 37 recently and sent back a few photos of the restaurant’s new menus. Ellen also sent along photos and reviews of their entrees and dessert (yay!). By the way, if you’d like to read our full review of Paradiso 37, you can find it here! Here we go!
Paradiso 37
Eats
First off, the food! Ellen wasn’t a huge fan of the Citrus-Barbecued Pork Ribs, saying the spice rub was extremely strong.
Citrus Barbecue Pork Ribs with Slaw
This veg entree was created on-the-fly, she says. “The new menu doesn’t have any vegetarian entrees (the previous one did). Our server offered me this. First impression, [Read more…]
We’ll be reporting on lots of menu changes this week! These are brought to us by Disney Every Day‘s Amanda Tinney, who recently visited Disney’s Polynesian Resort’s Kona Cafe.
The Classic Kona Cone Isn't Going Anywhere
Hiya Disney Foodie Fans! Sometimes chatting up your server at a Walt Disney World Restaurant will elicit golden nuggets of information that you can share with your fellow Disneyphile Friends. This week, my daughter and I were having dinner at Kona Cafe in the Polynesian Resort. Sushi, of course…followed up with some dessert. My daughter ordered the “most requested” dessert at the Kona Cafe, the Kona Kone! I opted for the “healthier” choice and ordered the Chocolate Fondue.
My Chocolate Fondue with macaroons, lace cookies, pineapple, strawberries and kiwi
I noticed that our server had a “10 Years of Service” Pin on her name badge and started chatting with her. It was around 5:30 pm when we were first seated and the restaurant was only about half full, so our server had time to talk. I told her that I had tried to make an ADR for the evening and was told by Disney Dining that the Cafe was completely booked until 9:00 pm. From the looks of it…some people had failed to show up for their ADR. Our server told us that it is normal for 45 to 50% of ADR’s to be “no-shows” on any given day!!! Proof that sometimes a “walk-up” is the only way to go.
Our server went on to tell us that there were going to be some changes coming soon to the Kona Cafe Dinner Menu. One change that has already been made involves [Read more…]
While I’ll always have my favorite Disney World restaurant menu items, I always like to hear about new things to try. And while this is by no means an exhaustive list (menus are changing all the time), I wanted to share with you a few changes I heard about and experienced during my recent WDW trip.
If you’ve heard about or experienced other menu changes, let me know! You can contact me via twitter, facebook, or email!
Liberty Tree Tavern
You might have read the Liberty Tree Tavern menu changes blog when I posted it a couple of weeks ago, but I figured I’d get all the info in one place!
There are two brand new dishes at LTT: Chicken and Dumplings and Salmon Cakes!
New Liberty Tree Tavern Menu Items
The chicken and dumplings was not what we expected, and almost tasted like a very hearty, VERY peppery chicken soup. A bit too homogeneous a taste for an entree (we like some sides with our meals), but not a bad dish.
Liberty Tree Tavern Chicken and Dumplings
Unfortunately, the pasta dish has been taken off the menu.
Le Cellier
There have been a few changes over at Le Cellier as well, but one that we tried and loved was the Poutine. Although I grew up very close to Canada, I’d never heard of this French Canadian delicacy! Luckily, our server explained it perfectly. Fries. Cheese. Gravy. Sounds good to us! I asked for the gravy on the side (sorry, Canada!), so that’s what you get in the photo.
Le Cellier Poutine, with gravy on the side
Now, let me pay homage to all of the twitter-ers who commented on my Poutine twitpic that it didn’t do justice to real Canadian poutine. For example, in most Canadian poutine, the cheese is not usually yellow, and it is always in curd form — not melted. (Our server DID mention that he considered this Le Cellier version to be “American” poutine, but it doesn’t make it any less delicious!)
We also tried a few new desserts over at Le Cellier: the Le Cellier Mont Blanc Semifreddo with chilled fruit soup, the Chocolate-on-Chocolate Whiskey Cake, and the Warm Apple Tart with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Maple Syrup.
Le Cellier Semifreddo
Le Cellier Semifreddo Inside
Le Cellier Warm Apple Tart
Le Cellier Chocolate on Chocolate Whiskey Cake
While none of these desserts wowed us, the chocolate cake would have been the best of the three. Our suggestion: forget dessert and head over for a Kaki Gori! 😉
Rose and Crown Dining Room
The Cottage Pie makes a re-appearance on Rose and Crown’s menu! I can recall Cottage Pie on the menu years and years ago, but it’s back again for all of you Anglophiles (including me…).
Rose and Crown updated menu
Rose and Crown Cottage Pie
Rose and Crown Cottage Pie Inside
We also sampled the brand new Lemon Pie at Rose and Crown. It’s pretty much your standard lemon meringue pie, so if you love it, order it. Otherwise, stick with something else.
Rose and Crown Lemon Pie
California Grill
California Grill, as always, is playing around with the “market-inspired” menu as it should, but the dessert menu has really been changed up this time around.
California Grill dessert menu 10-1-09
We sampled the Valrhona Chocolate Cake, which used to be paired with cherries and is now coupled with salted caramel ice cream and roasted pineapple. They’re riding the salted caramel train down at The Wave as well, so I think it’s a “Contemporary” thing. Either way, we loved it.
California Grill Valrhona Chocolate Cake
We also tried their “Sweet Celebration” item, which is a Fall Apple Cobbler, with Walnut-Oatmeal Streusel, Calvados Ice Cream, and Apple Caramel Drizzle. Our waiter kindly let us know that the cobbler wasn’t a standard “gooey” item, but instead was more of a dry dish, with the apples well-formed and not mushy. We’re BIG cobbler fans, so ordered it anyway. We loved the dish, but were glad for his warning as we would have expected something different without it.
California Grill Apple Cobbler
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Yachtsman Steakhouse is doing all kinds of fun things with its menu — a couple of raviolis to try (including Potato and Leek Ravioli!), escargot, and a Cowboy Steak (my favorite!).
But what I’ve got to rave about here is the new Mushroom Risotto side dish. I really dislike mushrooms, but because I was so taken with Le Cellier’s Mushroom Risotto I knew I had to try the new Yachtsman version. And as a result, I have two comments: 1.) They are completely different dishes, and 2.) Yachtsman’s mushroom risotto is unbelievable.
Yachtsman Steakhouse Mushroom Risotto
I couldn’t stop eating it, and probably would have ordered a whole bowl if I could. It’s just that good.
Sanaa
Finally, although I didn’t get a chance to dine there this trip, Sanaa, one of Disney World’s newest restaurants, has changed up a few menu items as well (thanks to Amanda Tinney for the tip).
While many things on the menu remain, the Dum Biryani has been removed as an entree (replaced with a Lamb Kefta, at least at lunch), and the “Slow-Cooked in Gravy” section has been divided into a meat section and a vegetarian section (no more mixing!). Stewed Lentils and Spicy Cauliflower, Onions, Tomatoes, and Mint have been added as options on the vegetarian list, along with the old Paneer Cheese and Spinach.
Be sure to keep me updated on the new things you sample on your next trip! Bon Appetit!
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