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EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

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Disney Food Post Round-Up: November 13, 2011

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Cheshire Cafe Sign

This weekend wraps up the 2011 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. It’s been a whirlwind of food, menus, beverages, parties, and demos, and we’ve had a great time covering it all for you. Don’t worry, though — we still have a few reviews to share next week!

Moving forward, we set our sights on the holiday season and all the yummy good treats that are created for the celebration in the Disney parks and resorts!

Latest Disney Food News

Relax and catch up on this week’s news highlights!

Do you crave more news? Check out our Disney News Pin Board, where Disney Food News is updated on a regular basis!

On to the Round-Up!

MiceChat

takes us to Disneyland for a behind-the-scenes look at outdoor vending!

WDW for Grown-ups reviews one of my favorite hideaways — the lounge at Sanaa in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village.

Eating (and Drinking) Around the World gives us a tour of random foodie “odds and ends” around Epcot. Check out the adorable Mickey Ice Cream bar shirt to the left, courtesy of Andy Jackson.

Main Street Gazette reviews the Floridian Club Sandwich at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Grill.

The Orange County Register announces the Anaheim Thanksgiving Dining Guide, including Disneyland options!

Healthy Disney shares vegetarian options at Wolfgang Puck Express.

Disney Parks Blog showcases a unique, hand-painted Vinylmation created for the Festival of the Masters. Check out Mickey’s Ice Cream Dream!

Downtown Disney Restaurants Announce Thanksgiving Feasts

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Portobello

We are thrilled to announce Thanksgiving meals being offered at the Levy Restaurants in Downtown Disney. Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe, Portobello, and Fulton’s Crab House will debut prix fixe menus for the holiday.

Also, don’t forget to check out our reader-voted favorites for Best Places for Thanksgiving in Disney World and the fun Raglan Road Thanksgiving menu!

Let’s look at the Downtown Disney menus!

Wolfgang Puck Grand Café Dining Room

Start your meal with Sweet Potato and Duck Confit Tart with melted onions, bitter greens, roasted grapes and pumpkin oil. For the main course, savor Whole Roasted Poussin with butternut puree, charred brussels sprouts and red currant chutney. For dessert, [Read more…]

House of Blues Crossroads Menu Comes to WDW’s Downtown Disney in December

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Thanks to Andy Jackson over at Eating (and Drinking) Around the World for sending over the photo below!

Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez is leaving his mark on the House of Blues chain of restaurants by introducing his new “Crossroads” menu, a fusion of food representing “music, love, art, and spirituality.”

A Crossroads menu was introduced in Disneyland’s House of Blues this summer, and the above announcement notes that a Crossroads menu will be moving into Disney World’s House of Blues restaurant in December, 2011.

While we’re not certain they’re the same exact menu, the new menu in Disneyland keeps HoB favorites like jambalaya, and adds new signature dishes including shrimp and grits, short rib meatball sliders, hand stretched grilled flatbreads, chile braised short ribs, and street tacos. Guest favorites like [Read more…]

Review: Epcot Food and Wine Festival Scent Demonstration

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This year was my first experience at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, and I will tell you this, it will not be my last. I’m pretty much addicted. Eating & drinking my way around the world? A cranberry bog? AND super cool special events like the Scent Demonstration?  All of this while the kids are at home with Grandma & Grandpa… one can’t go wrong.

Anyhow, I happened to get super lucky that AJ had purchased tickets for the festival’s Scent Demonstration and then couldn’t use them.  When I was asked to go cover this event I had a million questions, the first being, “What in the world is a Scent Demonstration?” As well as, “Are they going to teach me how to use my nose correctly?” And,  “Have I been using it wrong all these years?”

The Scent Demonstration Took Place in the Festival Center

Well, here is how Disney describes it:

“Scent Demonstration – NEW!: Join scent critic Chandler Burr for a unique double-culinary experience—a meal made entirely of scents! You’ll also get to taste one of the courses, prepared by a Disney chef. Sunday, Oct. 2 from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m. $13 per person, tax included.”

I have to admit, although the description had me intrigued, I immediately thought of a field trip that I went on with my son last year at a nature center. One of the activities was to sniff certain bottles filled with “local” scents.  We’re talking everything from sweet honey smell to nasty stinky skunk. So at this point, I’m thinking the demonstration could go either way! Also knowing that my husband and I are both super sensitive to strong perfumes, I was a little nervous and didn’t want to leave the event sniffling and sneezy.

Our event took place at 2:45, so after the [Read more…]

First Look!: Magic Kingdom’s Cheshire Cafe Photos and Menu

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We got some fun pics yesterday from Jacquie Symonds over on Google+ of the brand new Cheshire Cafe (the new name for the Enchanted Grove) in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!

This change brings the counter-service kiosk’s theme into the fold of the Alice in Wonderland area of Fantasyland, which makes sense since it’s located right next to the Teacups ride! Let’s take a look at the changes between the old Enchanted Grove and the new Cheshire Cafe!

Signage

We’ve changed here from the fruity display of the Enchanted Grove, featuring Chip and Dale (or chipmunks of some variety), to the Cheshire Cat logo on a sign that looks like it’s being held onto the structure with vines! Minute Maid is still sponsoring the booth.

Cheshire Cafe Sign

Enchanted Grove Sign

Outside Appearance

The structure of the kiosk hasn’t changed much, but you can see that there is a new design on the front and side wainscoting and the accent color has changed from aqua to a [Read more…]

Review: Guylian Chocolates at the Food and Wine Festival Belgium Booth

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If you have a sweet tooth like me and you’re in Epcot right now, head over to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Belgium Booth for an awesome treat!

Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles at the Belgium Booth

The Guylian seashell truffles are new at the booth this year, and I love the addition. I’ve been a huge fan of these truffles since I was at University in the UK (way back in the 90’s ;-D), when I would save my pence to buy a little box of these yummy seashell-shaped, hazelnut-chocolate flavored treats for myself whenever I could. So I was pretty excited to see them added to the menu, giving the Belgium booth a [Read more…]

Review: Cake Boss Buddy Valastro’s Culinary Demo at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival

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While I was in Epcot last month, I had the chance to attend an Epcot Food and Wine Festival culinary demonstration featuring Buddy Valastro (who considers himself a “baker” rather than a pastry chef)!

You might know him from TLC’s The Cake Boss, a show centered on his family’s “Carlo’s Bakery” in Hoboken, NJ.

Cake Boss Ticket

Atmosphere

Arriving at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Center (the former Wonders of Life pavilion in Future World), I picked up my ticket at the will call booth and headed over to the culinary demonstration area. This spot has been significantly upgraded from last year, with a classy “vineyard” style and upscale show kitchen.

Culinary Demo Set-Up

I grabbed a seat up front and took a look at the recipe for the creation the Chef was going to share with us: [Read more…]

Dining in Disneyland: Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Gingerbread House Workshop

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We shared our Haunted House Building Workshop experience with you and guess what? It’s time to make reservations for the next holiday event at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney! I’ll be there, will you?

Reservations are filling up fast, so book quickly!

See you there!

Guest Review: Epcot Food and Wine Festival’s Party for the Senses

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Please welcome guest author Melissa Sorrells Galley with a review of the October 15th, 2011, Party for the Senses at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Thanks to Melissa for TONS of awesome and useful PftS tips!!

Party for the Senses is a truly magical dining event offered on Saturday nights throughout the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Bringing food and beverage specialists from around the world in one giant, colorful pavilion, the Party takes place in the World Showplace, located between the United Kingdom and Canada pavilions on the west side of the World Showcase Lagoon.

Signage outside World Showplace

Atmosphere

Parties this year last from 7:30-10pm. Cost is $145 per person, and $260 for the Wine View Lounge (not including park admission, which is required). In addition to the wonderful food and drink, the ticket price includes performances by the artists and entertainers of Cirque Du Soleil La Nouba during the Party as well as reserved seating for the Eat to the Beat Concert prior to the Party.

Check In
When you arrive, there will be a huge throng of people gathering outside the gates of the World Showplace Pavilion. Resist the urge to join them! Check in for Party for the Senses is located near the [Read more…]

2011 Disneyland Candy Cane Dates

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UPDATE: Thanks to our buddy Linda, we’ve learned that vouchers are still handed out at Candy Palace. You will receive a wrist band and a reminder paper about what time to pick up your Candy Cane.UPDATE #2: More thanks to DFB friend, Corinne for the following info: I was lucky enough to get a candy cane on my first try!
We took advantage of the Magic Morning early entry: we were at security by 7:15, at the turnstiles by 7:30, and then the mad dash to the Candy Palace.  Here’s our experience: Many people had no idea why there was a line at the candy palace!  When the park opened at 8, I sent my husband ahead to get a place in line–that was a minor mistake…all of your party must be there to get in line, they will not allow people to join others already in line, so stay together. We received a wrist band a few minutes after 8, it had the date and “batch” time on it so we could return anytime after 9:30 am up until 4 pm.  We went about our day at Disney, and returned in the afternoon to watch them make the candy.  When we went in to purchase them, a cast member cut off the wrist band and kept it in a plastic bag so there was no potential to pass them around, I suppose.  I did talk her into cutting just the date and time from my wrist band so I could put it in the scrapbook!  We immediately took the candy canes back to our resort to avoid breakage.  Thanks to your blog I was able to do my homework and increase my chances to get a candy cane!

For the past week I’ve been calling Disneyland EVERY SINGLE DAY to try and get the scoop on this year’s candy cane making schedule. I even visited twice to ask in person to no avail.

I am excited to announce that I finally made some progress and that we are the FIRST to deliver the schedule and “rules” to you, our awesome DFB readers!

For those of you who don’t know about Disneyland’s hand made candy cane tradition, you can read all about the famous Disneyland Candy Canes here.

This year things are a bit different:

Disneyland Candy Cane Tickets/Vouchers

Tickets/Vouchers will be handed out at the entrance turnstiles at park opening; you no longer have to make the dash to the Candy Palace to get your ticket. This INCLUDES magic mornings, so if you are staying at the hotel and want candy canes on one of the scheduled dates listed below, you will have access to a voucher one hour before [Read more…]

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