Join us in celebrating our 25th Anniversary...DeLuxe Style! SURPRISE FINALE

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DH and I spent a week at Disney World (Nov. 9 - 16, 2010) to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. This was our first trip there without kids in about 20 years and it was fantastic!!! For the first 5 nights (6 days) we stayed at the Boardwalk Inn and were on the DeLuxe Dining Plan. The last 2 nights (1 day) we switched resorts to the Polynesian and were not on the Dining Plan. We spent a lot of our time (especially the first 4 days) at the Food & Wine Festival so that will be included in my review. We also dined at 6 Signature restaurants (4 of which were new to us) and had some great dining experiences. In addition, we got to try out the two new restaurants at Epcot, Via Napoli and La Hacienda, as well as revisit a few of our old favorites. Out of 12 sit-down meals, only one was a big disappointment. I will keep you guessing for now as to which one.

Here is the list of what I will be reviewing:

Food and/or Beverages from 23 of the 27 Food & Wine Festival booths - COMPLETE (Page 1, post 15 and Page 2, posts 16 and 19)

Flying Fish Cafe dinner - COMPLETE (Page 2, post 21)

RJ Cooper Culinary Demonstration - COMPLETE (Page 2, post 22)

Artist Point dinner - COMPLETE (Page 2, post 25)

Via Napoli lunch - COMPLETE (Page 2, post 26)

MARTINI Beverage Seminar - COMPLETE (Page 2, post 27)

Kent Rathbun Culinary Demonstration - COMPLETE (Page 3, post 36)

Rick Springfield Eat to the Beat Concert - COMPLETE (Page 3, post 38)

Yachtsman Steakhouse dinner - COMPLETE (Page 3, post 41)

Le Cellier lunch - COMPLETE (Page 4, post 60)

Iron Horse Vineyards Beverage Seminar - COMPLETE (Page 5, post 68)

La Cava de Tequila margaritas and snacks - COMPLETE (Page 5, post 70)

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Eat to the Beat Concert - COMPLETE (Page 6, post 77)

California Grill dinner - COMPLETE (Page 6, post 83)

San Angel Inn lunch - COMPLETE (Page 6, post 90)

Narcoossee's dinner - COMPLETE (Page 7, post 94)

Vine Connections Beverage Seminar - COMPLETE (Page 7, post 97)

Coral Reef lunch - COMPLETE (Page 7, post 99)

Citricos dinner - COMPLETE (Page 7, post 103)

DDP vs. TIW Comparison - COMPLETE (Page 8, post 109)

Grand Floridian Cafe breakfast - COMPLETE (Page 8, post 113)

KTTK Tour (lunch at Columbia Harbour House included) - COMPLETE (Page 9, post 121)

Garden View Lounge Afternoon Tea - COMPLETE (Page 9, post 124)

La Hacienda dinner - COMPLETE (Page 10, post 143)

YUMMY AWARDS Part I - Page 11, post 153

YUMMY AWARDS Part II - Page 11, post 161

YUMMY AWARDS Part III - Page 11, post 163 & 164

WWD SIGNATURE SMACKDOWN - Page 12, post 175 thru Page 16, Post 229

SURPRISE FINALE - Page 16, Post 230

I took many food pictures but unfortunately was having some issues with my camera. Hopefully at least some of them will turn out to be good enough to post. I'll try to get my pictures downloaded this weekend so I can start the reviews.

 

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I just checked to see if my Photobucket account still existed, since I hadn't downloaded any pictures to it for quite a while. Not only did it still exist, but I found food pictures there from what I believe was our Nov. 2006 trip. This was the last and only family trip in which I was allowed by my kids to take pictures of our food. Unfortunately, I never got around to doing a review and using the pictures. So as an amuse bouche to keep you interested until I can start the reviews, here are some of those pics from 2006. Interesting to note is that many of these are still on the current menus for these restaurants.

RAGLAN ROAD - Nov. 2006

Serious Steak - 10 oz sirloin topped with Irish whiskey marmalade glaze, with fresh basil oil, mashed potatoes, and topped with crispy fried onion strings

Fish & Chips - our famous beer battered fish & chips with fresh tartar sauce


And last, but not least...

Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding - Like no other pudding you have ever tried

And a close-up view

 

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Tokyo Sunset - Malibu Rum, creme de banana, peach schnapps and pineapple juice (I can't remember for sure, but I think that's what this is)

Pictures of our chef in action

Can't tell if this is Steak & Shrimp or Steak & Chicken???

 

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Plate of Assorted Tea Sandwiches

Strawberries and Whipped Cream

 

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Pork Egg Rolls and Pot Stickers

Sweet and Sour Chicken - Tempura chicken, ginger, garlic, bell peppers, and pineapple

Crispy Honey Chicken - tempura chicken, broccoli, carrots, honey sauce

Baby Back Ribs - slow-roasted ribs, hoisin BBQ sauce, chicken fried rice, sweet chili slaw

I'm not sure what this is, but I think I remember having Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli. In the picture it kind of looks like chicken though???

 

[MickeyNicki]

Count me in! We have been here since Nov 12 and will leave in 2 days...cannot wait to hear about your trip and happy belated anniversary!

 

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Chicken tacos (Sadly no longer on the menu, but in general I prefer the new menu to the old one)

 

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Count me in! We have been here since Nov 12 and will leave in 2 days...cannot wait to hear about your trip and happy belated anniversary!

Thanks Nicki! I've been trying to keep up on your live report. You've been to some of the same places...even on the same nights I think. We were at La Hacienda for dinner on Monday, Nov. 14. Weren't you there that night?
Oh, and Happy Anniversary to you too!

 

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Lump Crab Cakes - with Asian tartar and pineapple relish

Pot Stickers - wok-seared duck dumplings with creamy ginger soy sauce

Sticky Wings - glazed chicken wings with a tangy mustard drizzle and toasted sesame seeds

Pina coladas

Banana-Chocolate Creme Brulee - with a chocolate spiral

Kilauea Torte

 

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Grilled New York Strip Steak - served with au gratin potatoes

Caesar Salad with grilled chicken breast

I think this was a Pork Chop with a mushroom sauce and served with mashed potatoes (no longer on the menu)

The Chocolate Wave

 

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Filet de Saumon (Broiled Salmon)

Crepe Basquaise - large crepe filled with smoked chicken strips, peppers and onions, grilled and served with a mixed salad

Quiche Lorraine - ham and cheese quiche served with a salad

Creme Brulee - Vanilla creme brulee served with a Madeleine

Crepe a la pomme et cannelle, glace vanille, caramel jus de pommes - Crepes filled with cinnamon, apple, vanilla ice cream and apple caramel sauce (from the picture it looks look there was fruit also served with this then, not sure if it's the same now)

Not sure what this was (doesn't seem to exactly match up with any of the desserts on the current menu), but it sure looks good!



Well, that's all the old pics I have. So now it's out with the old and in with the new! I'll try to get started on those this weekend.

 

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Strawberry Shortcake (I don't think this is on the menu anymore, but it sure looks good and I think I remember that it tasted good too )

Ok, now I'm done with 2006.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Thanks Nicki! I've been trying to keep up on your live report. You've been to some of the same places...even on the same nights I think. We were at La Hacienda for dinner on Monday, Nov. 14. Weren't you there that night?
Oh, and Happy Anniversary to you too!

Yup we were at La Hacienda around 6:30 or so.

Thank you for the anniversary wishes.

Cannot wait to hear what you thing about LH and the rest of your dining stuff

 

[jabead]

I finally got all my pictures downloaded, edited, uploaded to Photobucket, and resized...I had taken more pictures than I had remembered . The good news is that many of them actually turned out good enough to post, despite the issues I was having with my camera. There will be food porn after all!

So let's get this party started

Up Soon: A Quick Review of the Food & Wine Festival Food Booths

 

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During the first 4 days of our trip we were able to visit 23 of the 27 food booths. Originally, my goal was to complete our passports but unfortunately things like time, full stomachs, and long lines got in the way. We did most of our noshing the first two days, which was Tuesday and Wednesday of the last week of the festival. This was great because there were no lines to speak of and plenty of available tables (ones with chairs even ) so that we could comfortably enjoy our food and booze. Beginning Thursday (Veteran's Day holiday) the crowd level began to pick up. Early Friday the lines were still manageable but by Friday night Then early Saturday afternoon when we snuck into World Showcase for our lunch at San Angel Inn, it was wall to wall people! I knew then that my passport would not be completed. Oh well, on the bright side...we did manage to try more than 50 different things from the 23 booths we did get to. This was thanks in part to my BIL joining us for 2 of the days. He seems to have a bottomless pit for a stomach, . Oh, and we used 18 of our 20 snack credits there which amounted to about $85 worth of food. I still had to reload my gift card bracelet twice, but the snack credits definitely helped.

Now on to the reviews...

First our rating system:

Where is the closest trash can?
Well, that was a disappointment
Pretty good, worth a try
Like a party in the mouth, one of our favorites!


Listed in booth location order, starting on the left side (Mexico side).

CHILE
Pastel de Choclo (Beef and Corn Pie)

DESSERTS & CHAMPAGNE
Didn't make it to this one

BRAZIL
Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime (This actually tasted better than it looked)

BRAZIL - One of our Top 3 Favorite Booths
Medianoche Sandwich
Bacardi Frozen Torched Cherry Colada (This was so worth the brain freeze!)
So this booth was 2 for 2, making it one of our favorite booths. My only complaint here was the size of the colada, very small for $7.50.

ARGENTINA
Grilled Beef Skewer wth Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree

MEXICO
Tamal de Pollo (Chicken tamale)
Taco de Chilorio (Pork taco) (A little greasy, but very flavorful)
Passion Fruit Frozen Margarita (paled in comparison to Puerto Rico's colada though)
Dos Equis Beer (one of DH's favorite beers)

POLAND
Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream (Kielbasa was good, but not the pierogie)
Golabki (Pork Stuffed Cabbage) (Wow, this was a nice surprise!)
I hadn't really intended to even get the golabki as I'm not really a fan of cooked cabbage, however DH is so wanted to try it. I'm so glad we did as it turned out to be one of our favorites!

CHINA
Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles (This one looked better than it tasted...the four shrimp were tasty, but the noodles were not)
Pork Pot Stickers

SOUTH KOREA
Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimichi Slaw (Get me some water fast, my mouth is on fire!)

SOUTH AFRICA
La Capra Chardonnay
Sadly we were too full (even my BIL) to try the beef tenderloin by the time we got to this booth.

SINGAPORE
The 2nd booth we didn't get to

BREWER'S COLLECTION
And this was the 3rd

GERMANY
Apfel Strudel featuring Werther's Original Karamell Sauce (but not as good as I thought it would be)

Ok, that's about the half-way point so I'll post these and then come back with the rest along with a couple of pictures that I took.

 

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First a recap of our ratings system:

Where is the closest trash can?
Well, that was a disappointment
Pretty good, worth a try
Like a party in the mouth, one of our favorites!

Now picking up where I left off...

ITALY
Baked Cheese Ravioli, Creamy Bolognese Sauce, and Melted Mozarella (but not as good as I thought it would be)
Cannoli al Cioccolato (This was very small and hard as a rock...lucky I didn't break a tooth biting into this one.)
Fantinel Prosecco wine (preferred this one over the MARTINI Prosecco at another booth)

HOPS AND BARLEY
Boston-style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Remoulade
New England Lobster Roll (Way over-priced though, glad we could use a snack credit)
Pecan Bread Pudding (OMG, the 3 of us were fighting over this one!)
Sam Adams Boston Lager (I didn't care for this one, but BIL liked it)
Sam Adams Boston Octoberfest Beer (I much preferred this one)

UNITED STATES
Bison Chili with Wild Mushrooms, Cabernet, and Pepper Jack Cheese (but DH said he prefers my bison-less chili )

JAPAN
California Sushi Roll (We are not really sushi eaters, but this beginner sushi seemed fine)

AUSTRALIA
Seared Barramundi with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula, and Lemon Oil
Grilled Lamp Chop with Roasted Potato Salad and Red Wine Reduction
Rosemount Traminer Riesling wine

And now it's time for a pic...

All of the food and wine that we got from Japan and Australia


That's all for now...my family is complaining about being hungry So I'll add the rest asap.

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

Joining in...

 

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Joining in...

 

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the rest of the Food & Wine Festival booths.

MOROCCO
Kefta Pocket (A little meatball stuck inside cold pita bread)
Baklava
Tangerine Mimosa Royale

BELGIUM - One of our Top 3 Favorite Booths
Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream
Godiva Chocolate Iced Coffee
Both of these were delicious and went very well together. Belgium was 2 for 2 and another one of our top three favorite booths!

The Belgium waffle and Iced Coffee plus the Pomegranate Kir from France


SPAIN
Taste of Spain

FRANCE
Parmentier de Beouf Braise au Cabernet (aka beef short rib with mashed potatoes)
Creme Brulee au Chocolat au Lait
Chardonnay wine, Private Selection, Barton & Guestier
Sparkling Pomegranate Kir


IRELAND
Lobster and Scallop Fisherman's Pie Very yummy!
Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Ganache (This could have been a , but it was way too small...about the size of a half dollar. Not nearly big enough to share with DH, let alone BIL too.)

CANADA - One of our Top 3 Favorite Booths
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
Maple-Glazed Salmon with Lentil Salad
Inniskillin Pearl Vidal Icewine (Kind of tasted like sickly, sweet cough medicine. Though it was a tiny serving, that was plenty for me.)
Chateau des Charmes Riesling (I liked this much better than the Icewine)
Moosehead Beer (Another one of DH's favorite beers)
With 2 out of 2 for food plus some pretty good booze, Canada was one of our top three favorite booths!

CHARCUTERIE & CHEESE
MARTINI Prosecco wine (not quite as good as the Fantinel version in Italy though)

GREECE
Spanakopita (I really liked it, DH thought it needed more cheese and less spinach)
Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki
Baklava This one had more honey in it than the Morocco version so was gooeyer (is that a word?) and sweeter. BIL and I loved this one, DH preferred the Moroccan baklava...which he said had more nuts.

NEW ZEALAND
Seared Sea Scallop with Vegetable Slaw and Lemon Oil
Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

15 BEERS FOR 15 YEARS
We almost got a beer here our first day, but couldn't decided what to get. So DH ended up getting one of his favorite beers, Moosehead, from the nearby Canada booth.

Well, that completes our trip around the world. Anyone agree/disagree with our assessments? Feel free to add your two cents.

NEXT UP: Our first Signature dinner of the trip at Flying Fish Cafe

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

The Godvia Chocolate ice coffee looks refreshing...