Epcot | the disney food blog

The Three Best Burgers in Disney World

A lot of people think that the only thing to eat in Disney World is burgers. In fact, I hear lots of folks lament that they couldn’t exist solely on all that junk food, and that’s one of the big reasons why they don’t vacation in Disney World.

Well, lucky for us, there is a variety of food (both high- and low-brow) to eat in Disney World. But I have to admit, they can and do make some pretty mean burgers! While they’re pretty much good everywhere, there are a few places that stick out in my mind.

Here’s a quick look at my top three:

Le Cellier Entrance

1. Le Cellier Grilled Angus Chuck Burger: You might have to sell your firstborn to actually get a reservation at Le Cellier, but once you’re in you can get this yummy burger for just $12.49. Le Cellier is deservedly known as a steakhouse, and someone at your table should absolutely order the famous Filet with Mushroom Risotto; but if you like burgers, this is a grand opportunity.

Le Cellier Burger

What makes this one so good is the Black Diamond Cheddar melted on top. The cheese has a strength to it and the flavor will knock you out. Definitely worth a try.

Note, however, that this is only available at lunchtime at Le Cellier.

Grilled Angus Chuck Burger topped with house-made onion ketchup and your choice of cheddar or blue cheese $12.49

Liberty Tree Tavern Entrance

2. Liberty Tree Tavern Angus Chuck Cheeseburger: Another one that’s only available at lunchtime, the Liberty Tree burger is one of those unexpected surprises. While I’d been a die-hard pasta fan there for awhile, I tried the burger one day and was so impressed I had to split it with the rest of the table.

Liberty Tree Tavern Burger

Thinking it was a fluke, I ordered the burger several more times after that initial visit and have been wow-ed every time. You know how you’ve got that great hometown diner or restaurant that you keep going back to? This is what Liberty Tree Tavern lunch has become for me.

And, please, get the fries.

Angus Chuck Cheeseburger topped with bacon and cheddar or mushrooms and provolone, served with fresh fruit or tavern fries $11.99

3. Beaches and Cream Cheeseburger: And finally, the Beaches and Cream burger! While this one’s pretty flat, pretty thin, and pretty standard, the Beaches and Cream burger wins a mention for being an authentic burger in an authentic diner.

Beaches and Cream

You just don’t get more nostalgic than this.

Compliment the masterpiece on a plastic plate with some big ol’ greasy onion rings, or the lightly seasoned fries that are always perfectly crispy at Beaches and Cream. (You have the option to order fresh fruit as a substitute for the fries.) And don’t forget to save room for the malted milkshake, banana split, or Kitchen Sink for dessert!

Cheeseburger – – A juicy beef patty served on a fresh baked bun. Single $8.99; Double $11.49

Now, Let’s Eat!
Hopefully this little beef-based culinary tour has whet your appetite for some delicious burgers at Disney World.

Beaches and Cream Burger (photo (c) Brett Young)

While WDW may be the land of junk food, don’t write it off as a stereotype too quickly! Judge for yourself.

If you know of a “best burger” that I’ve missed, let me know about it in the comments section below!

Teppan Edo!

By admin 3 Comments

We recently had the opportunity to again dine at Teppan Edo, a teppanyaki-style restaurant in Epcot’s Japan pavilion. We always have a great time here, as CMs are friendly and engaging, and sitting family style with 6 other people is usually an interesting experience. We also love the food!

Hibachi-embedded Dining Tables

Most everything is cooked teppanyaki-style, meaning foods, usually steak, other meats, and vegetables in the Western version of teppanyaki, are grilled using a hot plate in the middle of the table.

Japanese restaurant chain, Misono, was the first to introduce Western-influenced teppanyaki-style dining in Japan back in 1945. Since then, the “Japanese Steakhouse” genre has been more popular with tourists than locals in Japan; locals tend to prefer fish, noodle dishes (like Yakisoba), and flour- and vegetable-based dishes for their teppanyaki.

Staff Greeting Ceremony as Restaurant Opens

Long Hallway of Dining Rooms

At Teppan Edo, you and your table mates are brought to and seated at your table, soon to be welcomed by a CM taking drink and food orders. You’re then welcomed by your table’s chef, who explains the process of teppanyaki and confirms the orders.

Me? I had to try a Sake-rita! It came highly recommended by our waiter, and who am I to turn down an opportunity to imbibe a sake-based margarita?

Sake-rita

And then, the show begins! Our chef expertly delivered on the standard teppan chef tricks–the onion volcano, the shrimp tail throw-and-catch, the knife tricks. She did a great job.

Our Talented and Funny Chef

onion volcano

The appetizers we’d ordered soon came out of the kitchen (these aren’t the table chef’s job, luckily!), and we enjoyed a tempura selection, miso soup, and a salad while watching the show.

Tempura Selection with Dipping Sauce

Miso Soup and Garden Salad

Chef Action!

Wondering about the name, Teppan Edo, I did a bit of reasearch and found the following:

According to Wikipedia: The Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai?), or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai?), is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 and is the premodern era. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Edo period is also known as the beginning of the early modern period of Japan.

The Teppan Edo menu also sports a map of Japan during the Edo period, and the main dishes are named after cities in the country. We orderded the Nihonbashi, which included both steak and chicken, with noodles.

Nihonbashi--Steak and Chicken

The meal was delicious, as usual, and I’m always amazed by the relative healthiness of these dishes. Soybean oil is used to grill, so although there is some fat, it’s not exactly artery-clogging stuff. Don’t be fooled, however–the portions are large!

You can find Teppan Edo in the large building on the right-hand side of the Japan pavilion in Epcot–just head up the stairs and you’ll come across the entry for both Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining.

To make a reservation, call 407-WDW-Dine, or book online by clicking this link.

Online Dining Reservations (ADR) Launched at Disney World!

By admin 8 Comments

Hey all! Just heard (6-26-09) that the Disney system is cancelling double booked time slots. Would love to hear your experiences!

You can now make your Disney World dining reservations online!

Disney has integrated the online ADR option into its restaurants section, so just click on your preferred restaurant and book the reservation. Here’s an example for Yak and Yeti.

Here’s a screen-shot of the system:

Online ADR Screenshot

Here’s what you see when the system finds a reservation for the time and restaurant you requested (note that they also give you other options to choose from). I like that, because I signed into the system and Disney knows I’m an Annual Passholder, they tell me what discount I can get with that perk:

Found Reservation During Time Requested

And what you see when your reservation request is NOT available. Again, they give you other options:

What You See When The Requested Reservation is NOT Available

Once you’ve got your online ADRs booked, you’re taken to the Shopping Cart screen. This gives specific instructions at the top, then lays out all of your ADRs. You are now welcome to add dietary and other requests:

Shopping Cart Screen

Dietary Requests Screen looks like this:

Dietary Requests Screen

Other Requests Screen looks like this:

Other Requests Screen

Once your ADR is confirmed, you get this screen:

Confirmation Screen

Once confirmed, the system will send you an email about your reservations. If you need to cancel a reservation, simply log back into the system, pull up your reservations, and cancel according to confirmation number.

NOTE: If you book two reservations for the same time, you get the following screen warning you of your error. Disney does not make you confirm that the reservations are for two different parties, however. Just heard (6-26-09) that the Disney system is cancelling double booked time slots. Would love to hear your experiences!

If You Book Two Reservations for the Same Time...

I shall investigate further! Until then, book away! Send your reviews of the system to [email protected] and I’ll post them—surely they’ll be helpful to other planners.

Thanks to Touringplans.com for the info!

Note–You can now make online reservations at The Diamond Horseshoe for the period of August 16th through October 3rd (dinner will be table-service, all-you-can-eat).

ONLINE ADR SYSTEM REVIEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB
@cherylp3 twittered that the system didn’t work very well for her in the Safari browser. Also confirmed that, if you log in, the system sends a confirmation email.
@gdpinvestigator twittered that the system took a bit longer than he’d like, and that you could likely make ADRs quicker by calling.

Epcot Twinings Tea Tour

By admin 10 Comments

Tea Tour Times

I’ve long wanted to take part in the Twining’s Tea Tour in Epcot, and I finally got the chance over Memorial Day weekend. This tour seems to pop up during the Flower and Garden Festival in the Spring and during the Food and Wine Festival in the Fall, and takes place several times per day (Friday/Saturday/Sunday while I was there) in the garden of the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot. If you’re lucky enough to have the time, stop by the UK pavilion, and get your name on the list for the tour time of your choice.

Our guide, a CM from the UK pavilion who’s been “tea-trained,” led us through a shockingly informative and enjoyable tour of the tea (and, mostly, tea-flavoring) plants in the UK garden’s many teacup planters. I mentioned that I’d wanted to take the tour for a couple of years, but I never expected that a no-cost experience could be so well-done. The guide was quite knowledgeable about the history and art of tea-making and answered each question very well (including a few toughies); I left feeling like I’d really learned quite a bit.

Tour Guide Discusses Camellia Sinensis

Twinings of London
The guide began by tell the group a bit about the exhibit’s sponsor, Twinings of London. The original Store, which can be found on the Strand in London near The City (the eastern financial district of London), was actually a coffee shop bought by Thomas Twining in 1706. Twining was the first to sell the newly-imported tea in his coffee shop, giving him a competitive advantage against the city’s coffeehouses. 40 years later, tea became one of England’s significant exports to the American colonies. Today, Twinings offers 300 varieties of tea and exports around the world.

Camellia Sinensis Info

The Tea
The guide spoke first about the Camellia plant, of which there are two versions: one from China and one from India. This is the plant from which all teas, excepting herbal teas, is made. Whether you’re drining green tea, oolong tea, black tea, or white tea, it all comes from the Camellia plant. So how do you make it different? Leaf picking, oxidization, and infusions:

–Black tea, which is what we western hemisphere residents largely consider “regular tea,” gets its name and dark brown color because it’s been fully oxidized. These teas have a deeper flavor, often described as “burnt caramel.” These teas have the fewest antioxidants, though there is still a larger concentration than in a large serving of carrots.

Tour Guide Discusses Tea Making

–Oolong tea, made from leaves that have been only partially-oxidized (usually only the edges of the leaf are oxidized), has a medium flavor that varies between those of black and green tea; it can be made to carry both lighter and bolder flavors depending on leaf treatment.

–Green tea, which is consumed most often in eastern cultures, has been picked early and is steamed or pan-fired to stop oxidation, leaving its green color and lighter flavor.

–White tea is harvested only once per year, as it takes the first bud and top leaf of the plant. These are withered and dried, with no oxidation. These teas have the most antioxidants of all.

Oolong Tea

Our guide went on to explain how teas are flavored with leaves and blossoms of other plants as well as herbal infusions; Twinings’ 300 tea varieties are the work of master blenders who undergo 5 years of training. He also briefly discussed herbal teas, which are made solely from herbs with no inclusion of the Camellia plants.

And a Few Other Fun Facts
The tour was rounded out with some great tips and facts about tea blending and brewing, including how to make DIY decaffeinated tea; the history behind America’s best-loved tea, Earl Grey; and why Irish Breakfast tea is so much stronger than English Breakfast tea.

All in all, it was a highly enjoyable half-hour. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to stop by the next time you’re in Epcot while the tea tours are offered!

The Tea Walk

Chefs de France–A Photo Review

By admin 4 Comments

Hey guys–just had a chance to chow down at Chefs de France recently and wanted to post a few food pics for ya! (Haven’t had a good “food pic extravaganza” for a while!) Here’s a “photo review” with few words thrown in for good measure!

Chefs de France seating

The restaurant is just beautiful. It looks best, I think, from the outside, after dark. I can remember several years ago stopping into a bistro in Paris with a friend after arriving in the city on a late train; it was winter and the bistro looked so warm and inviting. The lighting and walls of windows were identical to those at Chefs…it’s a great memory that the Epcot restaurant always brings back to me.

Chefs de France Seating

Chef Remy

Another photo of the newest chef at Chefs de France–Monsieur Remy! I can’t get over how he moves his little hands!

Pasta and Gruyere Cheese

If you’re a fan of Gruyere, mac and cheese, or bubbly yumminess in any way, you probably need to treat yourself to this dish. Yes, it gets to be too rich after a few bites, but hopefully you’ve trained hard prior to your vacation to endure massive amounts of cheese and heavy cream (isn’t that standard for everyone before a Disney trip?). We got it as part of the set menu for lunch.

Quiche

Another great dish. Probably not as spectacularly bad for us as the mac and cheese, but lovely all the same! (This’ll give you a little protein for the rest of your day as well…)

Orifuteroles au chocolat

Never been a great fan of profiteroles, but these were amazing! I couldn’t get enough. The chocolate was the best part, so lucky us that they drowned the pastry with it.

Creme Brulee with Madeleine

A decent creme brulee; in my book, Jiko’s pistachio version and Le Cellier’s maple version beat it out, however. Would love to hear from readers how it stacks up to other WDW creme brulees.

2009 Eat to the Beat Concert Series Announced

By admin 3 Comments

Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Thanks to Tim Weston over at The Daily Mickey blog for the tip that Disney’s finalized its Eat to the Beat concert series line-up!

These folks are set to light up the stage at this year’s Epcot Food and Wine Festival. For more information about the festival, click here!.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A platinum lineup of popular music acts, including several Grammy-winning bands, will unleash an eclectic mix of classic and current tunes during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 25-Nov. 8 at Walt Disney World Resort.

The Eat to the Beat! concert series will bring 17 acts – showcasing everything from rock to jazz, funk to pop – to the America Gardens Theatre stage during the 45-day festival. The lineup includes five performers playing the festival for the first time: Richard Marx, Better Than Ezra, Vanessa Carlton, John Waite and Billy Ocean.

Concerts, which are included with Epcot admission, begin at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. daily. The lineup (subject to change) includes:

Sept. 25-27
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (“You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)”
Sept. 28-29 Richard Marx (“Hold On to the Nights”)
Sept. 30-Oct. 3 Starship starring Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City”)
Oct. 4-6 En Vogue (“Free Your Mind”)
Oct. 7-8 Better Than Ezra (“Good”)
Oct. 9-11 Sister Hazel (“All for You”)
Oct. 12-13 Kool & The Gang (“Celebration”)
Oct. 14-16 Spyro Gyra (“Morning Dance”)
Oct. 17-18 Jon Secada (“Just Another Day”)
Oct. 19-20 Sister Sledge (“We Are Family”)
Oct. 21-22 Vanessa Carlton (“A Thousand Miles”)
Oct. 23-25 Taylor Dayne (“Tell It to My Heart”)
Oct. 26-28 Boyz II Men (“Motownphilly”)
Oct. 29-31 John Waite (“Missing You”)
Nov. 1-2 Night Ranger (“Sister Christian”)
Nov. 3-5 Billy Ocean (“Caribbean Queen”)
Nov. 6-8 Los Lobos (“La Bamba”)

2009 Food and Wine Festival update

By admin 19 Comments

2009 Food and Wine Festival

Click the link for the full details and information about the 14th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

And here’s Disney’s Official Press Release on the 2009 Food and Wine Festival:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Epcot kitchens turn up the heat for a global tasting experience worthy of every palate Sept. 25-Nov. 8 at the 14th annual Epcot International Food &Wine Festival at Walt Disney World Resort. During the six-week, entertainment-packed event, park guests can taste fine cuisine and wines from the top “foodie” cities of the world.

Whether sampling bites of Camarões com Palmito (shrimp with palms) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, or sipping the trendiest wine from Buenos Aires, Argentina, festival guests can enjoy the flavors of more than 25 international marketplaces dotting the World Showcase promenade. The festival will spotlight tastes from cities on six continents, including Bologna, Italy; Bangkok, Thailand; Wellington, New Zealand; Santiago, Chile; Marrakesh, Morocco; Shanghai, China; and, from the United States – New Orleans.

Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties run $2-to-$7 each, and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each kiosk. Puglia, Italy, returns as a sponsor this year, presenting culinary demonstrations with regional chefs and showcasing “Adventures of Pasta and Olive Oils.” Live regional entertainment is scheduled throughout each day along the promenade.

Daily wine and beer tastings serve up sips from around the world, and culinary demonstrations dish up featured taste treats. A series of special culinary programs features a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.

Live music kicks the festival up several notches each evening during the Eat to the Beat! concert series featuring acts from many musical genres including classic rock, jazz, R&B, funk and soul. Concerts are performed three times each evening at America Gardens Theatre along the World Showcase lagoon. Scheduled to appear for the first time on the Eat to the Beat! stage are: Richard Marx, Better than Ezra, Vanessa Carlton, John Waite and Billy Ocean. Returning acts scheduled are Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Starship, En Vogue, Sister Hazel, Kool & The Gang, Spyro Gyra, Jon Secada, Sister Sledge, Taylor Dayne, Boyz II Men, Night Ranger and Los Lobos.

Each fall, the festival attracts a diverse audience of more than one million guests ranging from wine connoisseurs and epicures to neophytes wishing to boost their wine IQs. Beer aficionados can raise their steins at several tasting locations, including Germany’s Biergarten, which specialize in brews from light to dark.

Festival highlights include:
The Festival Welcome Center, with a Champagne and Wine Bar, educational wine seminars, celebrity chef book signings, and festival keepsakes including exclusive festival pins and an official festival cookbook.

Some 250 chefs including Disney chefs and guest chefs from across the country conducting culinary demonstrations and hosting elegant dinners and tasting events. Guest chefs who appeared last year included Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace, Rock Harper of “Hell’s Kitchen,” Robert Irvine from Food Network’s “Dinner Impossible,” plus Jeff Henderson, Todd English, Warren Brown, Mary Meyers, Jamie Deen, Iron Chef Cat Cora and many other culinary stars. This year’s lineup currently is being booked.

New culinary programs to feature Celebration Dinners, Culinary Adventure Signature Dining and Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen. Popular returning events include French Regional Lunches at Bistro de Paris in the France pavilion, Epcot Wine Schools, Food and Wine Pairings and Sweet Sundays. The weekly Party for the Senses grand tasting event with tempting bites from eminent chefs, more than 50 wines and beers and live entertainment.

Festival guests can enjoy free admission on their birthdays as well as fresh Epcot experiences including the re-launched Spaceship Earth attraction in Future World and the high-tech, ultra-interactive Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure. Also in World Showcase, several new and updated restaurants welcome guests: at the Italy pavilion, Tutto Italia, with cuisine from different regions of Italy; at the Japan pavilion, Tokyo Dining and Teppan Edo restaurants; and at the China showcase, the redesigned Nine Dragons with a new menu.

Included with Epcot Admission:
Samuel Adams beer seminars, Authentic Taste seminars and Authors without Borders programs with special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, culinary and cultural adventures, and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation:
The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, Food and Wine Pairings at select Epcot restaurants, Signature Dining, Epcot Wine Schools, Sweet Sundays, and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission.

Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information and to make reservations for special events and programs. Festival details will be available by late July at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine, and guests can book special events and programs beginning Aug. 11.

Snack series: Turkey Legs

By admin 14 Comments

Turkey Leg

At over 1000 calories and 50 grams of fat (according to this MSN article), this “snack” could serve as two meals for most folks. So, as a result, everyone’s “down” on the turkey leg. All of the articles I see about these giant drumsticks profess shock that anyone could ever eat such a thing.

But I always thought that vacation was a little bit about letting loose, relaxing, maybe eating and/or drinking a bit more than you would normally… . Who doesn’t gain a few pounds on vacation?

Would love your thoughts–Do you stick to your diet at Disney? Email me at [email protected]!

Remy Pictures from Chefs de France

By admin 4 Comments

As of October 2009, the Disney Parks Blog is reporting that you can see Remy at 12:30, 1:40, 2:50, and 5:20 pm Monday through Saturday.

12may09-enh-015

12may09-enh-016

12may09-enh-017

12may09-enh-018

12may09-enh-019

12may09-enh-020

Thanks to FJFuchs for these fun pictures of Remy!

Epcot Food & Wine Festival Countdown

By admin Leave a Comment

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival is one of the premier foodie events in the nation, welcoming specialty chefs, wineries, breweries, and other food professionals from around the globe to showcase their talents in an extravaganza of cultural tastes and experiences.
Food and Wine Festival

No. Disney did not pay me to write that. But if they want to use the text, they can send me an email.

This year, the Food & Wine Festival is scheduled for September 25-November 8, 2009.
The festival will share tastes from several countries through over two dozen kiosks set up around Epcot’s World Showcase. Kiosks serve tapas-sized portions of regional specialties for between $2 and $5 each, and recommended wines and beers for pairing.

The event also features several special dining events and culinary programs; you’ll have to make reservations for these and pay for them separately and in advance. These will (likely) be announced sometime in July 2009 and be up for booking starting in August 2009 by calling 1-407-WDW-FEST. (All bookings are non-transferable and non-refundable.)

For those of us who can’t wait the three months until the 2009 agenda comes out (and for those of you who want to see an idea of what you might be able to expect from the festival this year), here’s the 2008 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Guide.

Looking for something?

STAY CONNECTED