WDW Odds & Ends…

Once again, a few random things from some recent visits to Walt Disney World… let’s dive in!

Recently Disney began enforcing the prescribed return times on Fastpass tickets…

as noted on the signs posted on the Fastpass machines (shown here in Hollywood Studios).

The tickets now note “Not able to accommodate late arrivals.”

Most assume this change in the enforcement of return times is due to the expected up-coming “X-Pass” system of Fastpasses (check out this blog post at touringplans.com for some more info)… we’ll see in time…

At the Studios there was a cute addition to the Stage 1 Company Store (aka the “Sorta-Muppet-Stuff-in-Part-of-the-Store-Store”)…

Dr Teeth & the Electric Mayhem are now playing above one of the tee-shirts displays inside the store.

And speaking of shirts, a few new Muppet shirts have been hitting the shelves (or the hangers) in the past months – here’s one of the coolest:

Gotta love Beaker!

And speaking of the new Fastpass system, it looks like there was some testing at Magic Kingdom, with the ticket swiping posts (like what was tested at Epcot for the entry tickets earlier this year) showing up – here is one at the Winnie the Pooh ride (along with a sour look on the castmembers face…)…

Smells like Pooh???

Let’s check out some other things while we’re at the Magic Kingdom…

On Main Street we found Mickey hanging out in a stroller…

and doing some pin trading – a fun and creative alternative to the usual pin board!

A new poster at the fire station touts the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game:

The popular Rapunzel meet-and-greet has been moved to the front of the park (where Snow White had previously held court)…

to make room for Merida from the upcoming Pixar film “Brave”.

At the time of this photo, construction walls hid the new Merida meet-and-greet, but by the time you read this it should be open with the raven-tressed Pixar-Princess in full view.

And of course, there are some food-related items…

As you likely know by now, the Florida Orange Bird has made his nostalgic return to the Magic Kingdom, and more specifically, the Sunshine Tree Terrace.

Orange Bird juice containers are back…

and the iconic Citrus Swirl is poised to challenge the Dole Whip as the #1 icy fruit-flavored snack in the Magic Kingdom.

Citrus Swirl

And the Orange Bird himself surveys the scene.

Sunshine Tree Terrace Menu

And of course, the little Orange Bird is now adorning a variety of merchandise.

And on another food-related note…

over at the Liberty Square Market, in addition to the healthier options of fresh fruit and regular baked potatoes,  you can now order up a baked sweet spud.

Back in Fantasyland the construction continues at a rapid pace.

Just who the heck is that darn monkey???

Far in the distance (Can you say “forced perspective”? I knew you could…) looms the Beast’s Castle…

which looks fantastic…

The Beast’s Castle

I’m really looking forward to seeing the complete landscape of the new Fantasyland!

Two parks down, two to go… we’ll hit some odds & ends from Animal Kingdom and Epcot next time…

See you soon!

WDW Weekend Eats… and Drinks… Harem Edition

For the first time in (way too) many months, the Core Harem (Miss Bonnie, Mistress Sandra and Mamma Ginny, with the supposed Harem Leader, yours truly in tow) gathered in DisneyWorld for a weekend of fun, and of course, food and drinks (or maybe that should be drinks and food?).

So let’s take a quick photo tour of the weekends eats & drinks…

Along with “Unofficial-Harem-Member” Stella (Artois, that is), on Friday afternoon I saluted World Showcase to begin the festivities… for moi at least…

We officially started Harem Weekend in Epcot (shocked?) on Friday evening by doing the Wine Walk – you get to sample two small glasses (2 ounce pours) of wine in each of three countries – it’s a fun way to explore World Showcase… and have a few beverages at the same time…

We started in France and got a description of the wines we were to savor… I think Miss Bonnie and Momma Ginny were a bit mesmerized by the young gentleman’s accent to pay much attention to what he was actually saying about the wines…

We stopped by Katsura Grill in Japan for something to ease the soon-to-be-rumblings in our respective tummies…

I chose one of my new favorites….

Okonomi Yaki

the Japanese veggie pancake, Okonomi Yaki.

Afterwards we stopped by the theater in the US to listen to Chuck Negron, “formerly of Three Dog Night” (I’m sure there is some lawyer phraseology in the way that was stated)… he sang many of the bands favorites (“Shambala”, “Joy to the World”), and yes, dear Dedicated Readers, I do remember the songs from their original, vinyl versions…

Chuck Negron

I noted to my companions that I didn’t think he sounded too great, but when he admitted during the set that he was two months away from his 70th birthday, I was then quite impressed with how well he sounded and his on-stage vigor!

Now back to the consumables…

We moved on to Italy for our next round of the Wine Walk.

With little time now before Illuminations (and the park closing), we sucked these two glasses down and headed to the wine counter in Germany.

Overall, the choices here were our favorites… and the severs gladly gave their recommendation for a wine to try on our next visit…

We closed out the evening with Illuminations,

and made our way back to our resort to ponder what enticing edibles we would find on Saturday.

Excited by the view of the soon-to-open Gusto Wine Cellar, Miss Bonnie, Momma Ginny and yours truly chose Italian for lunch and walked into Via Napoli with very little wait for an outside table.

A nice La Rossa beer in a Moretti mug

We started with some salad…

“Family Style” House Salad

the “Family Style” House Salad is for a minimum of two guests (at a cost of $6.00 per person), and with some nice olives, marinated mushrooms and the like hiding in with the lettuce and red wine vinaigrette, it was quite good, and a good value (especially for Disney).

We also had the Insalato del Contadino…

Insalato del Contadino

greens with tomatoes, cucumber, fennel, green beans, vinaigrette and a big slice of quite good Parmesan.

Some nice bread and a more-than-decent olive oil for dipping came at the same time.

After the greens, the three of us shared a pizza…

Quattro Formaggi Pizza

an individual pizza…

The big thing to know about Via Napoli is this: the food is great, but the portions are huge… and as a result it has the rap of being overly expensive…

The “individual” pies can generously serve two normal people (especially if you start with an app or salad), and we even shared one between the three of us after a filling salad and weren’t hungry… be advised…

After a break at our room to greet Mistress Sandra and add her to the party, we headed back to Epcot and each had a glass of the previously recommended Riesling in Germany…

Diva Riesling in Germany

After another stop at Katsura Grill for Sandra to sample an Okonomi Yaki for herself, I had to make a stop at the Garden House to try another of their sake cocktails.

This time I tried the Green Tea version…

Green Tea Sake Cocktail

I won’t say it was exactly horrible, but next time I’ll stick to the very tasty lime…

After saving a couple of countries from evil with the help of Kim Possible (before she gives way to Agent P), we made our way to the UK for dinner at the Rose and Crown.

Cheers. Jen!

We ordered beverages and made a toast to Mamma Ginny’s offspring as she begins a new phase in her Castmember life in, well, the United Kingdom (the “real” one that is…).

We ordered the cheese selection for the table to share (even though it’s difficult to get Miss Bonnie to share cheese…), and we found them all to our liking.

Trio of United Kingdom Cheeses – the Cotswold on the left was our favorite of the three

For our entrees, Mamma Ginny and Mistress Sandra both chose the Sirloin…

Beef Sirloin Steak with seasonal vegetables, fried onion rings, Cashel blue cheese butter, red wine sauce and Stilton cheese

Miss Bonnie selected the combo of the Scallop appetizer and a side of Cauliflower and Cheese Gratin as her main…

Cauliflower and Cheese Gratin on the left, Roasted Sea Scallops with wilted baby spinach, tomato and olive vinaigrette on the right

The cauliflower dish was very garlicky (which I’m not opposed to…), and I think was my favorite item on the table that evening.

Cauliflower and Cheese Gratin

I had the Pork Duo… multiple pig options is always a good gamble in my book…

Pork Duo – on the left is the grilled brisket with mushroom ragout and to the right is braised pork with mashed potatoes and red wine sauce

this was a tasty choice of porky goodness… Bonnie liked her sample of the braised pork… the grilled brisket was a bit drier than I’d like, but the mushroom sauce was delicious…

We all enjoyed our meals, and I’m sure we’ll eventually make a return visit to the Rose & Crown Dining Room. For Disney in-park eats, this is a very reasonably priced sit-down – most entrees were in the mid-to high teens, with the most expensive item (the sirloin) topping out at $22.99. The venue is fun, and just listening to the server’s accents is worth the visit alone (I’m a sucker for a UK accent)!

After dinner was yet another viewing of Illuminations….

probably my favorite single thing in the World…

Sunday found Miss Bonnie and I on our own, and we made the walk from the Beach Club resort over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a while and a quick lunch before the weekend was over…

We both were in the mood for the grilled veggie sandwich that is actually served at a couple of places in the park, so we made our way to the Backlot Express near Star Tours.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

At this location, it’s served with either a side of fries (and sadly not the sweet potato fries like at Restaurantosaurus in Animal Kingdom) or baby carrots… one of us chose the uber-healty carrot option, while the other took the much less healthy fried spud route… I’m not going to name names…

After a fun ride on Star Tours, and a surprise of some fast-pass tickets to Toy Story courtesy of a chance meeting with a good friend, we sadly called an end to our weekend, and Eating and Drinking Around the World… for now at least…

We’ll be back soon for more Disney-eating adventures… here’s hoping you enjoyed tagging along for this trip…

Now back to the kitchen – and very soon back to the World! See you soon!

WDW Weekend Eats

Yes Dear Dedicated Readers, it’s time for another set of pics from a (fairly) recent weekend of dining at Walt Disney World… so let’s head on in…

On our first evening we sampled a few of the items at the temporary kiosk in the Italian pavilion at Epcot – this is open while Tutto Italia undergoes renovation, and features some items you wouldn’t normally expect to see at a quick-service location.

Caprese Sandwich and Pasta e Fagioli

We tried the Caprese Sandwich (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil), the traditional pasta and bean soup Pasta e Fagioli, and to wash it down I had a Moretti draft while Miss Bonnie went with the fancy imported San Benedetto water (which pretty much tasted like, well, water…).

Caprese Sandwich

Overall the taste of the sandwich was a bit bland – the fresh cheese is naturally mild in flavor, but the tomatoes were not great and the basil was a bit skimpy. The bread was good, and if you had more flavorful tomatoes and upped the ante on the basil (plus maybe some fresh-cracked pepper) this would be a pleasant change-of-pace from the usual fare, but otherwise was not worth the hefty $10.00 price tag.

Pasta e Fagioli

On the other hand the soup was very good – a hearty mix of pasta, beans and a little bit of meat for flavoring in a nice broth. This was a good size portion and would be great on a cooler evening at Epcot.

The next day for lunch we made our was down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Studios and decided to try a couple of the “Gourmet” Hot Dogs at Fairfax Fare.

Macaroni and Cheese Hot Dog with Truffle Oil and Barbecued Pork and Coleslaw Hot Dog

High-end versions of the humble frankfurter have been showing up all over property the past year or two.

Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Oil Hot Dog

The Mac & Cheese version wasn’t bad, but a little underwhelming – the aroma of the sprayed-on truffle oil hits you at first, but quickly dissipates – Bonnie & I were thinking of ways to make a more truffleious version at home…

Barbecued Pork and Coleslaw Hot Dog

More satisfying was the BBQ Pork and Slaw version. Similar to the one served at Casey’s Corner in Magic Kingdom, the bun holds a good portion of pulled pork (and better than was expected for this self-professed pig-snob) upon which rests the weenie that’s then topped with coleslaw. We both agreed we’d gladly down this version again.

We were at the World for the Princess Half-Marathon (I did say it was a fairly recent weekend, didn’t I?) and we next met several friends for our pre-race dinner at the Turf Club.

Turf Club was selected for the evenings dining as Lori Loves Tigger and her Hubby Erin (who after a bit too much tequila one day at La Cava also wound up somehow becoming my fiancee… don’t ask…) as they were staying at Saratoga Springs for the weekend – Doc Terminus and Running-Fiends Julie and James were along for the ride…

I had been to the nice bar area a couple of times before for apps and beverages, but other than that none of us had dined in the restaurant per se before.

A couple of plates of decent stuffed ‘shrooms and some onion rings were ordered for appetizers.

Roasted Mushrooms stuffed with spinach, cheese and garlic

I chose the stereotypical pre-race pasta while Miss Bonnie decided on a salad as her entree.

Turf Club Pasta with shrimp, garlic, olive oil, veggies & fresh herbs

Iceberg Wedge Salad with blue cheese, bacon & cherry tomatoes

Several other entrees were ordered around the table…

Surf & Turf Burger topped with watercress, lobster and Bearnaise Sauce

Roasted Free-Range Chicken Breast with red bliss potatoes, tomatoes, peas, fresh herbs and roasted broth and in the rear is the Prime Rib with Red Bliss mashed potatoes, broccolini, and red wine demi-glace

The Chocolate Espresso Torte was shared by some for dessert and was given a thumbs up.

Chocolate Espresso Torte

Overall the food was fine, but far from spectacular. If you’re staying at Saratoga and want a sit-down meal (and can’t make the long trek over the water to Downtown Disney for many more dining options) you should be able to have a reasonable meal here, but I’d say the Turf Club is not exactly destination dining.

The next day was the race itself, and afterwards there was actually an interesting edible…

At the end of most races you’ll find things like bananas, bagels, muffins, protein bars and the like offered to runners – at the end of the Princess Half we were also handed a snack box with some interesting, and good, options.

Interesting crackers with a squeeze container of hummus, roasted edamame (we both really liked these – we found the same brand at Whole Foods. Try the wasabi version – it’ll clear your sinuses!), fruit and nut mix and some semi-high-end chocolate… a nice change of pace from the usual post-race fare!

After a much-needed shower and a post-race celebratory Stella (me, not Miss Bonnie…) we made our way to Animal Kingdom to sample some of the new snack and quick-service offerings there.

Over the past several months there has been some new items (and a new kiosk) added to the path from Africa to Asia… this is a lovely walk, and we’ll see if it has been enhanced by the eats & drinks…

at Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Harambe they have a beef sandwich we’d been wanting to try…

Slow Roasted Pulled Beef Sandwich

we both really liked this (somewhat messy) sandwich, as well as the accompanying seasoned potato chips – we’ll be having this again. Our good friend Ryan also recently reviewed this item and I’d have to say that I concur completely with his assessment – you can check it out over at the Main Street Gazette.

As you travel on towards Asia you’ll come across the Safari Egg Rolls Kiosk…

while they have long offered the typical fried egg rolls (a veggie version as well as a pork and shrimp one), which are perfectly fine and for the fairly nominal prices are a nice snack, recently added was a Vietnamese-style cold Summer Roll.

Chilled Summer Roll

Rice paper encases glass noodles and fresh veggies… it could use a bit more herbs (Miss Bonnie found it a bit bland), and it really needs the sweet chili dipping sauce to enliven it, but overall I’m liking this item (which means it will probably be pulled from the menu soon)…

This crunchy, chilled roll is a good alternative to the fried rolls, and should be a great snack on those sweltering summer days in the often steamy Animal Kingdom park… and it’s only two bucks so it’s worth giving it a try… and yeah, it should be fairly healthy… shhhh… don’t tell anyone that…

Along the way is a fairly new structure primarily purveying beverages of the adult variety.

Frozen Margaritas are the beverage of choice here – if you’re not sure which to pick, try them all layered in the “Triple Yeti Blast”!

Triple Yeti Blast

Miss Bonnie really liked the mango flavor, while I was more partial to the lime. I’m not real big on frozen ‘ritas, but this will be nice during the heat of the summer (if you want a good non-frozen one in AK, try the African Margarita they mix up at the Dawa Bar).

We also wanted to try the new “Boneless Chicken Wings” (read sauced nuggets), but didn’t have the chance this time as we had to make our way towards Epcot for dinner… you can check out what our buddy AJ had to say about them over at the Disney Food Blog (she also covers the margarita kiosk in the same post – note how the offerings have changed since her visit just a few months prior to ours).

So yes, we arrived at Epcot and headed directly to (big shock) La Cava del Tequila…

We met the same motley crew as the night before (less the good Doctor) and Erin & I introduced Julie to the wonders of the tequila shot.

From there we went to dinner at Teppan Edo, the teppanyaki style eatery in the Japan pavilion.

The chef always puts on a good show…

The infamous "Onion Volcano"

While I think the food here is very average…

Ton (pork loin steak)

it is a very fun place to go, especially with a great group of friends!

Hotate (cold water sea scallops)

The tables here usually seat eight, and if your party doesn’t fill a table you will likely be seated with others (strangers at the start, but usually not by the end of the meal).

We were fortunate to be seated with a very nice young couple and their infant son. The husband was in the military and this was their last Disney trip before he was being sent for a tour of duty in the Middle East. This young gentleman and his wife were personable, bright and the perfect dinner companions – I was proud the shake his hand afterwards, thank him for his service to our country and wish him well. If he is at all typical of the men and women that serve us in the military, I’d say we are very well represented around the world. I hope to see the great couple and their adorable son very soon again in Disney!

So there you have it – another weekend of eating around the World – nothing spectacular this time, but some fun times and a few good finds nonetheless! Hope you enjoyed it!

Now, as always, back to the kitchen – we’ll see you soon!

WDW Odds & Ends…

I’ve spent most of the last week in seclusion, contemplating the end of the Best Time of the Year… sobbing quietly… crying myself to sleep curled up in the fetal position…

Last weekend was, yes dear Dedicated Readers, the last weekend of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival…

Now that I’ve had a bit of time to recover, I figured I’ve give you a (relatively) quick overview of last weekend, as it was not just the final weekend of the Food & Wine Festival, but much more was going on at the World (Disneyworld, that is) that weekend, so let’s take a look back…

Let’s start at Downtown Disney, where the 36th annual Festival of the Masters was going on.

This three-day event (Friday through Sunday) usually coincides with the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival (or sometimes the weekend after), and features lots of exhibitors/sellers of artwork,

a display of sidewalk chalk artists at work,

various kids activities, a mini food & beverage festival,

live entertainment, and more…

Outside the Lego store, hobbyists show off their Lego creations, many of which are quite impressive.

The artist’s booths (over 150 this year) usually feature high-quality work in many categories such as photography, digital art, glass, painting and sculpture.

Down by the House of Blues is a section of booths featuring folk art.

And yes, there is food… and beverages…

Several of the Downtown Disney restaurants set up booths to show off their offerings….

The offerings aren’t extensive (only seven restaurants this year, and sadly Raglan Road didn’t participate this year – they have had some nice items the past couple of years), and the quality varies (usually good items from Fulton’s, Portabello, Bongo’s and House of Blues… Pucks has pretty much phoned it in the past few years, and T-Rex is well, T-Rex…), but it’s worth saving some stomach space if you’re heading down there.

Meatball Sliders

One of the offerings from Portabello was three Meatball Sliders from  for five bucks – tasty and a great deal!

Fulton’s Crab House had a couple of good deals – two big Stone Crab Claws for $6.00,

Stone Crab Claws

Lobster Bisque in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

and a big Sourdough Bread Bowl filled with a good Lobster Bisque for only $4.00.

The Festival of the Masters doesn’t seem to get a mass amount of publicity, and from the usual good crowds it probably doesn’t need too much. If you’re in the area while it’s going on, it’s well worth the visit.

Around Downtown Disney (as elsewhere on property) it’s obvious that the Christmas season was already in full swing, with decorations everywhere.

A sign at the House of Blue was touting an upcoming menu change, courtesy of Aaron Sanchez…

I’m actually quite looking forward to trying this new menu out, as Chef Sanchez is one of my favorite Food Network celebs.

Inside the World of Disney store, the Turkey Leg shirt still seems to be a big seller, and yes, it’s available in kid’s sizes.

If you haven’t been to Downtown Disney in a while, it’s worth a trip to check out the new Lego displays that were put in after the store was redone a few months ago, several are quite spectacular!

So now, let’s move on to the Studios…

Not surprisingly, the upcoming Muppet flick is being promoted at the Muppet store (technically known as the Stage 1 Company Store if you want to be picky…).

Sadly there’s not a ton of new Muppets merch to be had – let’s hope the movie is as great as we here hope it will be, and we’ll be given more opportunities to be parted with our hard-earned cash…

Earlier we were speaking of the holiday decorations around the World, and the big Christmas event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has now opened…

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights has opened, and it’s perhaps more spectacular than ever.

Even though the lights weren’t “dancing” all the time we were there (the dreaded “technical difficulties”), it was still an amazing display.

Hidden Mickeys abound – fifty of them according to the announcer.

Do you see Mickey?

And the Hidden Purple Cat, whose location changes each year, of course is back… after much frustration and gnashing of teeth, Miss Bonnie & I spotted it almost at the same exact moment… scroll down a bit if you don’t want to see the next picture of it…

Hello kitty...

This is the first year of the lights since the passing of Jennings Osborne, who started the Christmas display at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas.

One thing I noticed this year is a “Hidden Arkansas Razorback”…

I’m sure someone will let me know if this has been there in prior years, but it’s new to me, and I’m assuming it’s an homage to the memory of Mr. Jennings.

And yes, there is food and beverage news at the Lights…

As usual, a Toy Soldier mans a grill.

Booths offered up a menu of (mostly) holiday-themed eats.

"Pour on some sprinkles, stick a glo-cube on me, and call me a "Holiday Cupcake"... hell yeah they'll pay $6.50 for me!"

Walking through the crowd was a ballpark-style beer vendor…

What? No Stella?

I would have actually been a bit excited if there had been more interesting choices beyond Bud & Bud Light.

All told, this display is pretty darn amazing, and a not-to-be-missed at Disney during the holiday season.

Okay, so now we move on to the weekend at Epcot…

Epcot Christmas Tree

I won’t go into a great amount of detail on the last weekend of the Food & Wine Festival right now as it for one, may make me cry that it’s over, and for another, the biggest parts of the weekend (for me at least), deserve much more attention (and will receive same in later posts…).

Needless to say, we did eat some food – we tried a few items that at least one of us (Miss Bonnie and/or myself) had yet to have – but mostly had some favorites for one last time at the festival.

The offerings from Germany

Jerk Chicken and Dragon Berry Colada

Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie

The Ocean Spray sponsored cranberry bog was a big hit at the festival this year, and the nearby booth was giving away packets of Crasins all through the festival, but at the final couple of days with many packages left, the offerings of the remaining Crasins were greatly expanded… Miss Bonnie’s backpack was filled to the brim with the tasty berries…

"Give me all your Crasins and no one will get hurt..."

And one night after dark, we saw something we’ve never seen…

the lights were on in the VIP lounge at Spaceship Earth…

wonder who was in there????

So now, the big part of the weekend… for me at least…

Pam Smith and Chef Suvir Saran

getting to see one of my true Culinary Icons, Suvir Saran (he has asked me not to refer to him as “Chef”, and I will try to resist…).

Dedicated Readers will know of my admiration for Suvir and his food (if you are new here, please go and read Let’s Cook! Grandma Hayes’s Corn Bread and Let’s Cook! Fried Chicken Masala before continuing…). And I’ve found that he his as great a person as he is a chef (I’ll used “chef” with a small “c”… maybe I can get away with that…).

For months I’ve looked forward to Suvir’s return to the Food and Wine Festival – his two events were the ones I signed up for on the first day they were available, and literally counted the days until I was able to attend them…

On Friday, his “Kitchen Memories” was was presented – a three-course, two-hour cooking demo highlighted by Suvir’s stories and culinary history. Hosted (as usual) by Pam Smith, the two had a great rapport.

David Munksgard of iron Horse Vineyards provided the accompanying beverages – Fairy Tale Cuvee at 10 AM – yeah baby!

David Munksgard

The food was great, but it was mostly the stories and personalty of Suvir that made the day.

I was fortunate to have some wonderful and engaging table-mates to share the experience. The two hours sped by, and I would have gladly spent all day listening to Suvir’s stories.

Miss Bonnie was able to observe the end of the program, and later joined me for the cookbook signing/meet-and-greet with Suvir.

He was very generous with his time with all attendees and gladly posed for photos. Afterwards I was as giddy as a little schoolgirl…

On Saturday Suvir gave another demonstration, this time one of the one-dish 45 minute demos.

Miss Bonnie attended as well, and we were joined at our table by Sarah, and her significant other Matt, from the Eating WDW blog.

Once again, Suvir was engaging, informative, and very, very funny… I horribly regret not having an audio of the presentation.

Afterwards was another book signing, and we gladly spent some more time with him.

There will be many more details, and of course recipes, from Chef Saran’s events (oops, sorry, I mean Suvir), and yes we’ll eventually have a recap of the Food & Wine Festival in general (just don’t hold your breath, we’ll get to it eventually… at least before next year’s festival for sure).

We hope you’ve enjoyed these ramblings from a weekend at the World, time to get back to the kitchen… see you soon!

You can tune a piano…

but, as they say, you can’t tuna fish…

Or can you?

Over the past couple of years or so, I’ve become a huge fan of the chop-up-some-fresh-tuna-and-mix-with-tasty-seasonings type of dishes that seems to be showing up everywhere… from several restaurants at Disney, to the Eating (and Drinking) Around the World kitchens, and even my favorite local haunt…

You take some nice raw tuna, cube or mince, add some seasoning, let sit just a bit and enjoy! Usually a crispy chip of some sort is the mechanism for moving the goodness to your mouth, and the fish may be garnished with various goodies or perhaps just served simply… Asian flavors are, not surprisingly, common, but the meaty fish also marries quite well with Latin flavors.

So, let’s take a quick visual tour, shall we?

Tuna Nacho from the Cabana at the Swan & Dolphin Classic

Tuna Poke at the Sushi Bar at the Polynesian Resort... please just bring me a gallon of this!

Tuna Tartar at the Cabana Bar and Beach Club at the Swan/Dolphin Resort

Tuna Tartar at the Cabana Bar and Beach Club at the Swan/Dolphin Resort

Spicy Tuna Tartare at the Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios

Spicy Tuna Tartare (with Lotus Root Chip) at the Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios

Tuna Ceviche at Mulligan's Pub in Rverview, Florida

Tuna Sensation from the Japan booth at the Epcot food & Wine Festival

So yes, I think you can tune a fish – to your tastes that is… recipes will follow… eventually, of course…

Back to the kitchen…

Let’s Cook! Grilled Veggie Sandwich

After making the Baked Sweet Potato Fries recently, seems like we need something to serve them with…

Since at WDW we had them as a side to a veggie sandwich (aka the “Vegetable Subosaurus”) at Restaurantosaurus in Animal Kingdom (see “One potato, two potato…”) and one of my favorite quick-service sandwiches in the World is the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich served at the Backlot Express in the Studios, a semi-healthy Grilled Veggie Sandwich seems in order… so let’s cook!

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

Ingredients

1  Eggplant (the usual purple globe-type will do fine)

1  Zucchini (the bigger the better)

1  Red Bell Pepper

1  Red Onion

The main players

Vinaigrette (your favorite recipe, or see recipe at end – a good bottled one will do just fine too)

Bread (your choice, I used a crusty “5 Grain Italian” Baguette, ciabatta would also be nice)

Provolone Cheese slices (or Mozzarella, or Swiss or a combo)

Sliced Tomatoes

Procedure

Heat your grill to medium – medium-high (it was about 400 degrees on my trusty BGE).

Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and onion into about 1/4″ slices. Cut the pepper sides off into four or five fairly flat pieces.

Making the cut...

When your grill is hot, oil the grate. Brush one side of the veggies with some of the vinaigrette and lay the brushed side down (unless you have a huge grill, you’ll have to cook the veggies in batches). Brush the sides now facing up and allow the veggies to cook until tender. Depending on your grill, it may take 8, 10 or 12 minutes to get them cooked to your liking (the onions and peppers should take a bit longer than the eggplant and zucchini).

Turn the pieces now and then and relocate on the grill as needed (most grills tend to have “hot spots”) until evenly done. Brush with the vinaigrette while cooking.

Cut the bread in half, and brush the cut sides with the vinaigrette and grill the cuts sides quickly until browned.

Bread on the egg...

Now let’s assemble…

"Golden brown and delicious..."

Cover each side of the bread with sliced cheese, then add the veggies and sliced tomatoes as desired…

Press the pieces together and slap that puppy back on the grill!

Turn as needed until the outside is crusty and the cheese is melted…

Slice, open an adult beverage if you so desire (and why wouldn’t you?), and enjoy…

oh yeah, don’t forget the sweet potato fries!

This volume of veggies will easily make four big sandwiches, but don’t worry about having too much of the grilled goodies around, you can easily repurpose them: dice and mix with some of the vinaigrette for a salad, or dice and heat for a nice side dish… or (what I’ll be doing with this batch) dice and add to your favorite marinara and serve over pasta, or…

Okay, so none of this is rocket science… you can use whatever “meaty” veggies you like – yellow squash would work, big portabella mushrooms would be great. If you want it really cheesy, add a layer in the middle (and it would help to “glue” the sandwich together – a big bonus!). Got some freah basil around? Add leaves of that for sure… A slather of grainy mustard on the bread while assembling the sandwich couldn’t hurt either…

If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan on the stovetop or you broiler to cook the veggies. A panini-press would of course work well for the final step, or you could just wrap in foil and stick in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes.

Here’s a good, basic vinaigrette:

Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup  Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup  White Wine (or White Balsamic) Vinegar

1 tsp  Dijon Mustard (or other good mustard)

1/2 tsp  Salt

1/4 tsp cracked Black Pepper

Procedure

Combine the vinegar and mustard in a bowl and whisk in the oil. Stir in the salt and pepper. At this point you can add a bit of herbs if you like (rosemary or oregano would be nice with the veggies) and/or a bit of finely chopped garlic.

Now we’re back to the kitchen… after these healthy veggies I’m thinking some meat might be in order soon…

Holiday cheer(s)…

Cheers!

The holidays are in full force around Walt Disney World: trees, wreaths, colorful lights and the sounds of carols greet you at practically every turn.

There are plenty of food (and drink) related holiday goodies around the parks and resorts each year. Most Disney fans are familiar with many of them such as the chocolate carousel in the Beach Club lobby and the giant gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian, but on some recent trips to the World I came across a few new or not so well known ones… let’s take a look shall we?

We need to fortify ourselves first, right? So let’s have a beverage in the Studios…

The bar aside the Studio Catering Company has a special “Yuletide Cheer” menu of drinks for your adult beverage enjoyment.

The Partial Harem and I tried a couple of the offerings…

The “Merry Margarita” and the “Sleigh Ride” were both tasty, but other than the cute names and the festive addition of a glow cube there really wasn’t much that screamed “Holidays” to me (other than maybe the gift of another cocktail concoction to try…). The Snowball sounded like it would have some sweet Christmassy flavors, while the Baileys Coffee looks to be the ideal hot beverage to have while wandering through the Osbourne Lights on a cold Florida evening.

Now that we’ve readied ourselves, let’s take the nice walk from the Studios over to Epcot (or if you’re on the lazy side, we’ll allow you to take the boat…).

On the way let’s make a stop of at the Swan Resort for a visit to Saint Nick…

Unfortunately you can sit on this Santa’s lap and tell him what you want under your tree, because he’s made of chocolate!

This full-size Santa is pretty impressive – and it makes the whole lobby smell of chocolate!

Time for another beverage, so let’s head to Epcot’s World Showcase…

I’m going to wager we might find a nice brewed beverage or three in Germany – let’s check, shall we?

Ever trying to be the “Green” company, Disney has managed to recycle the Brewer’s Collection booth from the Food and Wine Festival into the Christmas-themed “Holiday Brewer’s Collection”.

The selection...

Didn't sample the Gluhwein, but I was fascinated by the $5.63 price point...

Is it just me, or is the old guy on the left not-so-discreetly checking out the blonde in the shades?

While we’re in Germany, let’s head over to the little village on the Romantic Road.

All four (or is it now five?) of my Dedicated Readers know how I dearly love the train layout in Germany. It’s one of the simplest and most subtle places in all of Disneyworld, yet there never fails to be a gathering of guests around the area watching the trains and enjoying the small details.

One of the things I love is that it changes with the seasons and events – during the Food and Wine Festival the village even sported it’s own miniature food booths (take a look here to see them)!

And of course, the trains also tie into Walt’s love of the locomotives…

So for the holidays, the little German village now sports wreaths, ribbons, trees and even a Santa with his reindeer…

Okay, so it’s not greatly food or drink related (even though the village does have a cheese shop and a very visible Lowenbrau purveyor)…

but it’s something very simple that makes me very, very happy… so next time you’re in Epcot, regardless of the time of year, be sure to pause for a bit and enjoy one of my very favorite things in all of the World…

So here we’ll wrap up our quick look at a few of the not-so-well known holiday goodies from around WDW. We here at Eating (and Drinking) Around the World wish you all a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season!

Where everybody knows your name…

Or at least what you drink…

So have you been into a place drinking too often when the bartender knows what to make without you asking?

Alena always knows what I want – and she makes perhaps the best margarita on WDW property…

And we’re not going to mention how the servers at La Cava del Tequila recognized us yesterday…

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WDW Weekend Eats: The Harem Edition, Part 1

As there is another full weekend of Eating and Drinking around the World coming up soon, it’s time to try and get you caught up on some recent (or at least relatively recent) weekend eats… so let’s go back about six weeks…

As it was going to be a long and strenuous trip to get to the World, I needed some sustenance for the journey, so a pre-trip visit to Five Guys was in order… yes, that would get me through the long (about an hour) drive…

Diet be damned...

Mistress Sandra had decreed that another trip to the Wave restaurant was to be in order, so Friday evening found us at the Contemporary.

We began by stopping at the Outer Rim for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Agave Nectar Margarita and a Sparkling Wine

We shortly made our way downstairs to the Wave.

After we were seated we were soon greeted by our server and she noted several new appetizers that were actually on the bar menu.

She said the flatbreads had been especially popular, so we chose the Beef Tenderloin Flatbread with Goat Cheese and Aged Balsamic to start our meal… and of course adult beverages were ordered as well…

Beef Tenderloin Flatbread with Goat Cheese and Aged Balsamic

The flatbread arrived quickly and we dove right in… we both agreed that the balsamic somewhat overwhelmed the other flavors and should have been used much more judiciously. As our server came to deliver bread and butter she asked how we liked the appetizer. We told her that we thought the balsamic was a bit overdone, and she graciously offered to make us another one with the vinegar on the side, but we told her that wasn’t necessary (it’s not like we didn’t eat the whole thing anyway…).

She took our entree orders and shortly we were presented with our main course. The Mistress ordered the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, while I selected the Chili-rubbed Flat Iron Steak.

The steak was cooked to order and came with potatoes and a salad alongside. It was a very successful dish and I wouldn’t hesitate to order it again.

Chili-rubbed Flat Iron Steak

The pork came with a sauce flavored with sassafras. Our server had suggested to have the sauce on the side as she thought it was quite sweet – her suggestion proved to be a good one, not because the sauce was overly sweet, but was just plain bitter and odd-tasting… (Mistress Sandra later referred to it as “Horrid and Nightmarish”). I had eaten the pork tenderloin here before but it was done with a different sauce, and when I mentioned this to the server she noted that this version had only been on the menu for a couple of weeks. Other than the sauce, the pork dish was good – tender and juicy. We suggested that the chef might re-think the choice of sauce with this dish… and at least one on-line listing of the Wave’s menu shows that as of 6/10 our suggestion may have been taken…

Grilled Pork Tenderloin (with “Horrid and Nightmarish” sauce)

Perhaps my favorite thing about the Wave (and this may surprise both of my dedicated readers, as I usually note that I’m not a huge eater of sweets) is their dessert menu. The offerings are creative, varied and all tasty. There are several main types of desserts (such as “Creamy Indulgence” or “Crispy and Crunchy”) with three items in each category. You can select one of the categories, or mix and match your own three choices from among all the items, which is what we did…

Vanilla Bean Créme Brulée, Lemon-basil Sorbet & Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

We chose the Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis (deliciously creamy with a thin crispy top), Vanilla Bean Créme Brulée (a no sugar added choice, and you wouldn’t have known it), and something that I order on every visit, the Lemon-basil Sorbet (bright and refreshing, the basil really adds a different flavor twist to dessert). The really nice thing about the desserts here is that you get a nice variety, and the portions are very reasonable – enough to get a good taste of each choice, but no so much that you’re bloated afterwards…

Other than a couple of sauce mis-steps (one minor, one major), we enjoyed our meal at the Wave. The food is fresh and reasonably priced and the service has been consistently good. Our server on this occasion was knowledgeable about the menu, made good suggestions, was there when needed, but not overly fawning or obtrusive.

We said farewell to the Wave and made our way to the palatial surroundings of Scopa Towers (aka the Pop Century resort) to await the further gustatory pleasures to come the rest of the weekend.

Saturday started early with a cinnamon-roll-as-big-as-your-head and coffee at the resort and we soon made our way to meet up with friends at the Studios.

When we arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios we met up with Miss Bonnie and Momma Ginny, and now the Harem was complete – before I’m accused of being a Sexist Pig, please note that these lovely ladies decreed themselves as my Harem for the weekend… I did suggest that some I Dream of Jeannie like garb was perhaps in order for the day, but that option was quickly dismissed by the ladies… oh well…

This weekend was the one where the Great Mongello had insanely decided to broadcast live for 24 hours over the Interwebs, and many of the faithful followers gathered to praise him. The homage was to take place at the Studio Catering Company, one of the quick service restaurants in the Studios, so we decided to lunch there.

Studio Catering fairly recently revamped their menu adding a grilled veggie sandwich (same as the Backlot Express also in the Studios) and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich among other items. I tried the Pressed Tuscan Deli sandwich, which was good, but nothing spectacular.

Pressed Tuscan Deli Sandwich

As we had dinner reservations in Morocco , the Harem and I eventually decided we needed to end our current adoration of the Mongello and begin to make our way towards Epcot. As we would need fortification for the long journey ahead of us, I suggested a stop at the Tune in Lounge.

Tune in Lounge

We paid a visit to my favorite blonde Czech bartender, who happens to make one mean margarita…

Thusly fortified, we took the walk to Epcot and wandered a bit before our evening meal.

There is much more to recount from this weekend, so we’ll pause here and pick back up  in Part 2. I think there’s time for a beverage…

Hats off…

to the Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios…

We had a kick-you-know-what meal there this past weekend – knew it was going to be good, but it was well beyond expectations!

We’re admittedly maybe a month behind on keeping you up-to-date on some recent weekends of WDW eats, so in the meantime thought we’d give you a bit of a preview of the Brown Derby dining… try not to drool on your keyboard…

Spicy Tuna Tartar with crispy Lotus Root chips... damn...

Sterling Silver Pork Chop over Napa Cabbage, Bacon, and Potato Hash... hash kicked ass...

Filet of Beef over Cheddar and Sweet Corn Polenta... them fancy cheese grits were perhaps the best part of a spectacular meal...

And yes there was more – but that should be enough to whet your appetite… more soon…