Follow me to the Boardwalk! 10/23 - 11/7 UPDATED 4/13 BEACHES & CREAM

[samsteele]

I love window shopping at Boulangerie Patisserie. So many interesting and tasty finds. I did try the Pissaladiere a few years ago . . . mostly to challenge myself to see if my high school french/first yr undergrad would get me past the obvious flub in pronouncing this . . . but it just wasn't very good. More like a frozen grocery store pizza square. Sad. However, the other offerings look wonderful and this at least can help others narrow down their choice. I have to say, after cruising through Boulangerie, I often just sneak out without purchasing and get myself next door to L'Artisan des Glaces for a gorgeous macaron ice cream sammy. The seasonal pumpkin is incredible

 

[Vernie822]

I can't believe your experience at CG. What a bummer. It has been on our list of places to try for a while now. I swear every trip we have an ADR and I end up cancelling it for one reason or another.

"Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!" is one of my favorite lines from the song. I don't know why but I laugh every time. LOVE the Patisserie!!

Roule Lard & Fromage - Bacon & Cheese Roll

We had this on our last trip.. YUM!

The ham and cheese croissant looks so good. That was my second choice - we'll have to try that next time.

 

[dvc4life]

So sorry for your dining experience at CG. I know you have always loved going there. But service like that is just uncalled for. We were down at Disney last weekend and we have the TIW card and received excellent service. They would ask if we were on a dining plan and we would say No, but we do have TIW. All our servers were fine with that. Thank goodness.

But, if you want a replacement restaurant for CG, I highly recommend Citrico's. Wholly cow was that one of the best, if not the best, meal we have ever had. And our server, Larry, was awesome. I had the pork tenderloin and it melted in your mouth. And my DH had the filet and he can't stop raving about how tender it was. We can't wait to go back there.

 

[momof3princes]

The Patisserie is one of our favorites! We love the baguettes My 3 boys can eat a lot of bread...fast! If you want any you better get a hand in quickly
The chicken sandwich looked delicious! and the ham and cheese is a favorite as well.

 

[happy2012]

Pissaladiere - Focaccia bread topped with tomatoes, black olives and Gruyère cheese
^That was an awesome snack credit! Soo tasty. I also enjoy the quiche & I'll be putting what you got on the list for breakfast! I think I'm more drawn to the savory things here. My mom will say the chocolate mousse!!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Love the quiche as well and the lobster bisque at lunch.

I completely forgot about the lobster bisque! I get this almost every time we go there. I love it.

 

[kastoney]

Your pictures of all the french goodies are literally making my mouth water. Can you believe I've never actually been there? But I'm still ready to declare everything my favorite ; ) Hoping to have some breakfast goodness on our next trip since we'll be right next door at beach club.

 

[jabead]

Happy New Year Everyone!

Sorry that I have been absent from the boards and my dining report for such a long time. The last few weeks brought much activity to the jabead household. I was very happy to have all three of the kids, including our daughter, Emily, home for the holidays. She arrived at Chicago O'Hare airport just after midnight on Dec. 24th and was able to stay with us until Sunday, Jan. 3rd, when she returned to Austin, TX.




On the day after Christmas, we hosted our annual Christmas Around the World party with 22 family members and friends in attendance. This year, at the 6th annual party, wines, cheeses, entrees & side dishes, and desserts were served from 7 different countries of the world. Emily took some photos from our first course, which included 13 different wines, at least a dozen cheeses, along with various accompaniments.










As you may have guessed, the idea for the theme of our annual family Christmas party came from the Epcot Food & Wine Festival marketplace booths. Which leads me to the subject of my next review. During my two week trip I was able to visit the booths on 6 different days (one of these with my DH) and tried 19 items from 13 booths. I'm going to combine these all into one review though, so let's get started on our tour of the 20th Annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival booths.


Sadly I didn't make it to any of the 7 Marketplace kiosks located in Future World. I had planned to try something from the two booths inspired by ABC's t.v. show, The Chew, but failed to carry out my plan. Hopefully they will be back next year so that I will have another opportunity. Did anyone get to try any of their offerings? What did you think?


I also only got to two of the 7 booths located in Showcase Plaza. The first of these two, Farm Fresh, was the very first booth that I visited on this trip. I had heard about how good their Mac 'n' Cheese was and was anxious to try it for myself.


Loaded Mac 'n' Cheese with Nueske's Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions

This was a little heavy on the green onion but otherwise was delicious. It ended up being one of my favorites of the 19 that I tried this year and I rated it a 5 out of 5. (or Very Good, Excellent)


The other booth I visited (along with my DH) in the Showcase Plaza area was Hawaii.





From the Hawaii kiosk we had the...



Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise


Our opinions differed on this. I had had this just last year and thought it wasn't as good as I remembered it being previously. My husband, who hadn't had this slider since 2011, thought it tasted the same. He rated the slider a 4 (Good) and I gave it only a 3 (Okay).



My husband and I also visited the Patagonia booth and tried two out of their three food offerings. The first of these was the...


Roasted Verlasso Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Arugula

I had had this last year and really liked it but this year the salmon tasted a bit "fishy" so I let my DH eat most of it. Last year I would have given this dish a solid 4 but this year it received only a 3 (Okay).



Since he ate most of the salmon dish, I got to have most of the other item we chose from the Patagonia booth.


Beef Empanada


And a look inside...



I rated the Beef Empanada a 4 (Good).



Next up is New Zealand, which I visited during one of my solo trips to the booths.



Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney


This was better than I remembered it being when I tried it years ago. I gave it a 4 and was glad I gave it another try.


Australia was another kiosk that I visited during my first day at the booths.




I debated as to whether to get the Lamb Chop or the Shrimp and I think I may have made the wrong choice.
​

Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion, and Snap Peas

This was just okay (rating of 3) and was my least favorite dish of the four I tried my first day.


Then on to the Mexico booth, which is usually one of my festival favorites. On one of my solo visits to the booths, I again had the Shrimp Taco, something I had enjoyed here last year.


Taco de Camaron: Battered Shrimp, Pico de Gallo, Pickled Onions, and Chipotle Mayonnaise

This was again good and I rated it a 4. However, the new item that I tried from the Mexico booth was even better.


Chilaquiles de Pollo: Corn Chips layered with Seasoned Chicken, Queso Fresco, Sour Cream and Cilantro

For some reason I was expecting the corn chips to be crunchy but instead they were soft and more like a baked corn tortilla. I really enjoyed this dish though and rated it a 5.


Skipping China, the next booth I visited was South Korea. During my day at the booths with my husband we spoke with a couple who claimed that the short rib dish here was excellent. We were already past the South Korea booth and didn't want to backtrack, so I made it a goal to try the short rib on my next visit to the booths.

Bulgogi BBQ Short Rib with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi


​

This was not only the absolute worst thing I tasted at the Food & Wine festival this year but in all six years that I have attended the festival. It had a nasty, burned flavor and after one bite of the ribs and a few bites of rice and cucumber, this went into the nearest garbage can. Needless to say, this dish rated a 1.


We had much better luck at the next booth, the Refreshment Cool Post...



...where my husband and I shared the Frozen Brown Elephant.




This was a frozen Coke with creamy Amarula liqueur added. YUM! We both gave it a 5!



- Continued in next post -



​

 

[jabead]

I never made it to the Africa, Germany, or Poland booths so next up is Italy. I visited this booth twice, the first time I chose the...
​

Filetto di pollo, con funghi al marsala: Chicken tenderloin, cremini mushrooms, marsala sauce and ciabatta bread



I had intended to order the ravioli but as I was approaching the Italy booth I saw someone walking away with the chicken and I thought it looked good. And happily it tasted equally good, receiving a rating of 5 from me.


On my third visit to the booths, I returned to Italy to try the...



Ravioli alla caprese: Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil


I think this had sat out too long, as the cheese had cooled and gotten hard. Had the cheese been warm and still melted and the ravioli underneath been warmer, this probably would have rated a 4 since the flavor was pretty good. However, since that wasn't the case, this dish only received a 2 from me.



The next booth though, Hops & Barley, was home to my favorite offering of this year's festival...


Fresh baked carrot cake with Craisins® and cream cheese icing

I'm generally not a big fan of carrot cake but I loved this! Carrot cake is pretty much the only cake that my DH likes so we decided to give this one a try on the day which he was with me. He really liked this so I allowed him to eat most of it. But only because I knew I could go back on another day and have a whole cake to myself...which I did.
​

I also considered trying another offering from the Hops & Barley booth but never got around to it. However, I did take a photo...


New England Lobster Roll


Nothing from Japan or Morocco so next up is Belgium. On one morning toward the end of my trip I skipped breakfast and instead had a Belgian waffle when the booth opened at 11:00.


Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream

This made for a perfect breakfast and I gave it a 5!


I did not make it to Brazil so next up is...





On my first day at the booths, I had my dessert from the France booth...


Crème brûlée vanille chocolat: Vanilla & chocolate crème brûlée topped with caramelized sugar


And an inside look...




This was good but I think I prefer both the regular creme brulee that they sell inside at the bakery and also the salted caramel one that they had last year at the F & W festival booth. I rated this one a 4.


Though I fully intended to get back to France for the short rib that I enjoyed here last year, sadly I never made it back.



I did however make it back to this booth...




Last year I had the Fisherman's Pie here and really enjoyed it so wanted to have this again...


Lobster and Seafood Fisherman's Pie

It had several large pieces of lobster...




Just like last year, I rated this a 5.


My DH and I also shared this for our dessert one day...



Warm chocolate pudding with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard

Though not quite as good as the carrot cake, this still received a rating of 5 from both of us.



And last is a booth that my husband and I visited together...




We shared two things from the Canada booth. First was the...


"Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce

This was pretty good for a steak served from a kiosk and for a price of $7.50. Our average rating for the filet was 3.5.



But we both gave the soup a 5...



Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

​

And that completes our tour of the 20th Annual Epcot Food & Wine Festival booths. Thanks for coming along!



​

Next up: Dinner at The Wave

 

[samsteele]

Beautiful pics of your party and the Food & Wine goodies! Re the Chew booths, I tried the strip steak and the liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle at the Chew Lab. The strip was nothing special. However, the liquid nitro truffle was incredible. I indulged twice over the week! So I hope it returns. The shrimp taco at Mexico is always a favourite. Something new I tried this year was the croissant aux escargot at France. I've had the escargot at the booth in years past but the croissant twist was a really pleasant surprise and an upgrade. While I enjoy the flavour, I don't always want to see the little critters so a plus that they were tucked away in the croissant.

 

[pumba]

just love cheddar cheese soup from Canada...thanks for the great photos...all look great except for the new england lobster roll...a NEngland one would not need the rest of the stuff that is in that one..and very little mayo in it...just enough to hold it together....I think I would like to go during the food and wine instead of the spring time visits...thanks again

 

[jabead]

I'm definitely going to have to go check the Boulangerie Patisserie out in Januray. So many places I need to try. I need a month long trip to do it all.

Since it's January, you may be at WDW and perusing the display cases at Boulangerie Patisserie right now. If you are, I'm quite jealous. Enjoy!

I had this last time we ate there and it was really good. Between these two items and Yorkshire Fish, I think we need to plan several trips to Epcot in January.

You might also be at WDW right now, munching on some fish and chips in the Florida sun instead of the Illinois snow. I hope so!

Love the quiche as well and the lobster bisque at lunch.

I've never tried the bisque there. Might have to try it sometime.

We were at Epcot that day too! Sadly we didn't manage to go to the bakery at France, but it looked good.

There are just so many places to get great food at Epcot that it is impossible to visit them all. After returning home from my May trip I realized that I hadn't set foot in the French bakery despite having visited Epcot 3 or 4 times on that trip. So I made it a point to get there early on on this trip. Anyway, I'm sorry our paths didn't cross that day at Epcot.

I love window shopping at Boulangerie Patisserie. So many interesting and tasty finds. I did try the Pissaladiere a few years ago . . . mostly to challenge myself to see if my high school french/first yr undergrad would get me past the obvious flub in pronouncing this . . . but it just wasn't very good. More like a frozen grocery store pizza square. Sad. However, the other offerings look wonderful and this at least can help others narrow down their choice. I have to say, after cruising through Boulangerie, I often just sneak out without purchasing and get myself next door to L'Artisan des Glaces for a gorgeous macaron ice cream sammy. The seasonal pumpkin is incredible

You know I didn't get next door for ice cream on this trip. I bet they had the pumpkin macarons that you mentioned at that time of year. Oh well, something to add to my list for next year.

The ham and cheese croissant looks so good. That was my second choice - we'll have to try that next time.

With so many choices, it's always difficult to choose at Boulangerie Patisserie. I've tried 7 or 8 different things so far there and only didn't like one of them.

So sorry for your dining experience at CG. I know you have always loved going there. But service like that is just uncalled for. We were down at Disney last weekend and we have the TIW card and received excellent service. They would ask if we were on a dining plan and we would say No, but we do have TIW. All our servers were fine with that. Thank goodness.

But, if you want a replacement restaurant for CG, I highly recommend Citrico's. Wholly cow was that one of the best, if not the best, meal we have ever had. And our server, Larry, was awesome. I had the pork tenderloin and it melted in your mouth. And my DH had the filet and he can't stop raving about how tender it was. We can't wait to go back there.

I had two bad experiences (again having to do with service) in a row on my first two visits to Citrico's (2010, 2011). But since then I've had two great dinners there. Sadly I didn't get back to Citrico's on this trip but it's on my list for next time.

The Patisserie is one of our favorites! We love the baguettes My 3 boys can eat a lot of bread...fast! If you want any you better get a hand in quickly
The chicken sandwich looked delicious! and the ham and cheese is a favorite as well.

I've only got one son, but he too can eat the whole basket of bread when we go out for dinner.

Pissaladiere - Focaccia bread topped with tomatoes, black olives and Gruyère cheese
^That was an awesome snack credit! Soo tasty. I also enjoy the quiche & I'll be putting what you got on the list for breakfast! I think I'm more drawn to the savory things here. My mom will say the chocolate mousse!!!

I haven't tried either the pissaladiere or the chocolate mousse at Boulangerie Patisserie. More things to put on my list for future trips!

Your pictures of all the french goodies are literally making my mouth water. Can you believe I've never actually been there? But I'm still ready to declare everything my favorite ; ) Hoping to have some breakfast goodness on our next trip since we'll be right next door at beach club.

No, I can't believe it! You absolutely must get to the bakery next time since you'll be right next door.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Love all the F&W pics & reviews. I booked our trip last night. Really looking forward to sharing F&W with DH but sure there will be some mixed emotions as it will be the first trip other than our Diva trip without DS!

Love, Love, LOVE your Christmas around the World parties! What's a girl gotta do to get an invite next year! LOL

 

[Jerusalem Gal]

Yummy!! Next time I go, only Food and Wine!

 

[Npbear]

Sounds great

 

[kastoney]

I was very happy to have all three of the kids, including our daughter, Emily, home for the holidays. She arrived at Chicago O'Hare airport just after midnight on Dec. 24th and was able to stay with us until Sunday, Jan. 3rd, when she returned to Austin, TX.

So glad you got to have all your kids home for Christmas. I'm gonna have to stalk your instagram for some Austin food ideas. We are heading down in March and looking to try some new things.

On the day after Christmas, we hosted our annual Christmas Around the World party with 22 family members and friends in attendance.

Love this idea. And am totally gonna have to steal it for the future ; )

Loaded Mac 'n' Cheese with Nueske's Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions

This was a little heavy on the green onion but otherwise was delicious. It ended up being one of my favorites of the 19 that I tried this year and I rated it a 5 out of 5. (or Very Good, Excellent)

This looks so good. Was it pretty much like the hash from last year but with mac n cheese instead of potatoes? Looks pretty similar and I loved that one.

Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney


This was better than I remembered it being when I tried it years ago. I gave it a 4 and was glad I gave it another try.

This looks delicious. Is the whole thing in a bread bowl? Hadn't ever seen this one before.

Chilaquiles de Pollo: Corn Chips layered with Seasoned Chicken, Queso Fresco, Sour Cream and Cilantro

For some reason I was expecting the corn chips to be crunchy but instead they were soft and more like a baked corn tortilla. I really enjoyed this dish though and rated it a 5.

YUMMMMMMMM! I love chilaquiles. We went to Mexico last year and I pretty much ate my weight in these over the week and that's a lot of weight ; ) Wish they had these all the time in Disney.

This was not only the absolute worst thing I tasted at the Food & Wine festival this year but in all six years that I have attended the festival. It had a nasty, burned flavor and after one bite of the ribs and a few bites of rice and cucumber, this went into the nearest garbage can. Needless to say, this dish rated a 1. ​

Wow. Inexcusable.

It had several large pieces of lobster...




Just like last year, I rated this a 5.

I can't believe how much lobster they put in this. It looks and sounds amazing.

Thanks for sharing your festival experiences with us. Love eating along with you!

 

[momof3princes]

Love that you got to try so many booth items and the good outweighed the bad! It is so nice you had all your kids under one roof for a few days...that is the best feeling

 

[jabead]

Beautiful pics of your party and the Food & Wine goodies! Re the Chew booths, I tried the strip steak and the liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle at the Chew Lab. The strip was nothing special. However, the liquid nitro truffle was incredible. I indulged twice over the week! So I hope it returns. The shrimp taco at Mexico is always a favourite. Something new I tried this year was the croissant aux escargot at France. I've had the escargot at the booth in years past but the croissant twist was a really pleasant surprise and an upgrade. While I enjoy the flavour, I don't always want to see the little critters so a plus that they were tucked away in the croissant.

I had heard that the truffle dessert was the thing to try there. I'm really sad I didn't get to taste it. Hopefully next year. As for the escargot, I agree with you...the more hidden the better.

just love cheddar cheese soup from Canada...thanks for the great photos...all look great except for the new england lobster roll...a NEngland one would not need the rest of the stuff that is in that one..and very little mayo in it...just enough to hold it together....I think I would like to go during the food and wine instead of the spring time visits...thanks again

I too thought the lobster roll had a lot of filler (especially celery), which is probably why I skipped it. I did though get to try the one at Captain's Grille later in the trip.

Love all the F&W pics & reviews. I booked our trip last night. Really looking forward to sharing F&W with DH but sure there will be some mixed emotions as it will be the first trip other than our Diva trip without DS!

Love, Love, LOVE your Christmas around the World parties! What's a girl gotta do to get an invite next year! LOL

What are your dates? Paula gave me the heads up yesterday that the dates for the Swan & Dolphin Fest had been set for Oct. 28th and 29th so I booked a room at WL from Oct. 21 - Oct. 30. Although I would prefer to stay at one of the Epcot resorts during Food & Wine, I'll wait and see if they come out with any discounts as their regular rates are pretty scary. As for traveling to WDW sans kids, I've tested those waters plenty lately and they are just fine...come on in!

And Vicki, you of course have a standing invitation to our annual CATW party! Hope to see you next year, just bring along your favorite bottle of French, Italian, German, American, etc. wine!

Yummy!! Next time I go, only Food and Wine!

The Food & Wine Festival booths are definitely a great way to try a lot of different food from around the world!

Sounds great

Thanks for reading!

So glad you got to have all your kids home for Christmas. I'm gonna have to stalk your instagram for some Austin food ideas. We are heading down in March and looking to try some new things.

You will notice from my IG that we were pretty much eating all the time while in Austin!


Love this idea. And am totally gonna have to steal it for the future ; )

By all means, steal away!



This looks so good. Was it pretty much like the hash from last year but with mac n cheese instead of potatoes? Looks pretty similar and I loved that one.

I'm sad to say that I didn't try last year's hash so can't compare the two, but I would definitely recommend the mac n cheese!



This looks delicious. Is the whole thing in a bread bowl? Hadn't ever seen this one before.

Yes, I would say that that would be a good description of this dish...meatball in a small bread bowl covered in marinara sauce. It was pretty tasty!



YUMMMMMMMM! I love chilaquiles. We went to Mexico last year and I pretty much ate my weight in these over the week and that's a lot of weight ; ) Wish they had these all the time in Disney.

I really hope they serve them again next year at the Mexico booth.


Wow. Inexcusable.

Yuck!


I can't believe how much lobster they put in this. It looks and sounds amazing.

I too was pleasantly surprised.


Thanks for sharing your festival experiences with us. Love eating along with you!

Thanks for joining me!

It is so nice you had all your kids under one roof for a few days...that is the best feeling

It sure is!

 

[jabead]

For the second night in a row I headed to the Contemporary Resort to have dinner.







But instead of my usual dining destination on the 15th floor of the Contemporary, this time I remained on the 1st floor to dine for the first time ever at...




Again I arrived early for my ADR, as I again overestimated the time it would take to get there using Disney transportation (which is a good thing ). I was surprised at how busy the restaurant was (perhaps it's no longer a hidden gem?? ), so I had to wait until close to my ADR time before being seated.


Here are some photos of their menu, as of October 26, 2015...






I skipped the appetizers in the hope of saving room for dessert, so my meal started with only the complimentary bread basket...






Though this was nothing spectacular, it was warm, soft and tasted fresh...unlike the bread I was served the night before at the Contemporary's signature restaurant.


For my entree, I went with their...



Herb-Salt Seasoned Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Crimini Mushrooms, Organic Green Beans, Whipped Potato Puree, and Sauce Bordelaise

And a little closer view...




When I had finished taking my photos of this, I cut into my meat only to find that my steak (ordered medium) was much more rare than medium inside. Almost immediately though, my server came to the table to ask if everything was okay. I was honest and told her about my steak and she assured me that it could be quickly and easily fixed, which it was. My entree was then returned to me a few minutes later by the chef, who apologized for under cooking my steak. I thanked him several times for being so attentive and then proceeded to thoroughly enjoy this entire entree. The steak was now cooked to a perfect medium temperature and the sides (mushrooms, green beans, and whipped potatoes) were all delicious. These were much better than the similar sides which were served with my chicken the night before at California Grill.


I must admit that I was pretty full after eating most of my entree, but the service here was so pleasant and attentive and the food so good that I wanted to savor the experience just a little longer by ordering dessert. Here are the options from which I had to choose...






Not a lot of choices here, but there was one which definitely stood out for me...


German Chocolate Cake Contemporary-style - German Chocolate Cake, Caramel Sauce, and Heath Bar Caramel Ice Cream

I liked everything about this dessert except for the coconut. But since coconut is always part of a German chocolate cake, I can't really fault them for my dislike of it. Although I like the flavor of coconut (i.e. I love a good pina colada ), I don't like shredded coconut in my food. So I guess it's a texture thing. But anyway, this was a tasty dessert and a good ending to a great meal...one of my favorite dinners of the trip!
​

Next up: Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare

 

[samsteele]

Thank you for the lovely review and pics! This place has been on my radar for some time but I just haven't had the chance to eat there. I've heard wonderful things about the food at the Wave but some comments that the atmosphere isn't that great. In fact, a few posters have mentioned it is almost like eating in a basement or a reception room because there is little natural light? I haven't been so am curious about the atmosphere and decor. How did you find it? And if not the best, did you find the food more than made up for it? While the view can never equal that at Cali Grill, it sounds like your entree at the Wave was definitely superior to Cali Grill and that says a lot. About both restaurants.