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More on the Garden Town Breakfast at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

The Disney Parks Blog has released some delicious information about the brand new Garden Town Breakfast at the 2010 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (which started today!).

Held on March 21, April 18 & May 16, in a second-floor dining room at the Garden Town Wonder’s Retreat, the Garden Town Breakfast will provide guests with a delicious meal made partially from ingredients grown at Epcot’s The Land pavilion!

Here are just a few of the potential menu offerings: “Warm caramel baked sweet plaintain coconut crumble…four-cheese quiche with puff pastry and garden peas…chicken sausage with caramelized green apples…” and “Danish pastries, scrambled eggs, oven-roasted potatoes and French toast … orange poppy seed bread with real butter … Sangria … yogurt with fresh fruit and granola … spinach and tomato frittata.”

Throughout the breakfasts, Disney horticulturists will give tips on grow-it-yourself herbs and vegetables; and Disney chefs will explain how to [Read more…]

Review: Villa de Flora at Gaylord Palms Resort

By AJ 10 Comments

Today we’re reviewing another of the Gaylord Palms Resort restaurants — Villa de Flora!

Gaylord Palms' Villa de Flora Restaurant

As you know, I was kindly invited to a complimentary dine-around at the restaurants at Gaylord Palms the last time I was in Orlando, Florida (you can see my photos and descriptions of the Sora Sushi Bar and the Old Hickory Steakhouse here). Gaylord Palms Resort is just a few miles away from Disney World’s main gate, and is a quick taxi ride or drive away from any Disney park or resort.

Villa de Flora Atmosphere
Gaylord Palms Resort is built around a massive indoor courtyard, which is separated into three Florida-specific sections: Key West, St. Augustine, and the Everglades. Villa de Flora is located in the St. Augustine area of the courtyard, directly across from this rustic Spanish castle where the resort holds special events:

Courtyard Castle

The castle could be just one part of your view from this Mediterranean villa-themed restaurant. There are dining rooms inside the main villa area, affording surroundings of Spanish tile, heavy dark wood furniture, and massive fireplaces…

Gaylord Palms Inside Dining room

…or “outdoor” dining rooms (of course, the entire courtyard is covered, so you have no elements to worry about) strewn with lights and decorated casually with potted trees and wicker furniture.

Set Table in the Courtyard

No matter where you choose to dine, the restaurant has made the guest experience even more individualized by placing potted herbs on each table. Guests are encouraged to use the herbs as desired to add even more flavor to their meals.

Herbs and Olive Oil

Eats
Villa de Flora’s buffet offerings are set up as a Mediterranean market highlighting seasonal cuisine from several countries. In fact, the menu here has a twist. Although the service is buffet, each day the restaurant highlights a different Mediterranean country with its dishes, rotating between Spain, Italy, France, and Greece. When we were there, we were treated to specialties like seafood paella, tortilla salad, coconut shrimp, a gorgeous antipasto display, and some amazing desserts. But your choices might vary — it all depends on the day you dine.

Seafood Paella

Coconut Shrimp

Tortilla Salad

Sundried tomatoes, various cheeses, hearts of palm, mandarin orange and dates salad, various breads

Bread Pudding

Cake, Tiramisu, Baklava, and Cheesecake

Chocolate Desserts

Once we had made the rounds of the buffet, we were greeted at our table by our server preparing the house-made Sangria! Although the buffet variety might keep other restaurants from developing house dishes, Villa de Flora has made its mark with a delicious tomato-basil soup and this Sangria, made from a variety of apples, oranges, lemons, cinnamon sticks, fruit juices, brandy, and Réné Barbier Mediterranean wines. The strong cinnamon taste made it stand out from any other Sangria I’ve sampled, and it was delicious.

Preparations for Sangria

Making the Sangria

House Tomato Basil Soup

A Sample Salad Plate of Mine

So how was it?
We were very impressed with this restaurant! How do you make a standard resort buffet into something special? In my opinion, you create beautiful and changing surroundings; keep the menu season-inspired and innovative; focus on taste and presentation; and stay true to the dishes that make your restaurant special. We’re usually not big buffet fans, but the house-made Sangria mixed at the table and fresh, not-too-fussy dishes won us over. (I can still taste that Sangria!!) I was truly sorry we were anticipating the next restaurant, because I couldn’t dig into that line of incredible desserts…!

From my experience there, I think Villa de Flora would be ideal for a business lunch, a family brunch (think Mother’s Day!), or an evening excursion with friends for a few pitchers of Sangria and some delicious Mediterranean homestyle eats. (We actually passed Villa de Flora on our way out of the resort later that evening and it was very lively with groups of people at the courtyard tables having a great time!)

Specs and Info
You can check out the current Gaylord Palms Resort Villa de Flora menu here. Breakfast at Villa de Flora is served weekdays from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., and until 11:00 a.m. on weekends. Sunday brunch is served from noon until 3:00 p.m.; lunch is served weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturdays from noon until 2:30 p.m.; and dinner is served nightly from 5:00 until 10:00 p.m. Bar service (with occasional entertainment) is available from 11:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

Villa de Flora is located in the St. Augustine Atrium, and attire is casual. You can make a reservation online, or call (407) 586-1114.

Disney Food Post Weekly Round-Up: February 28th, 2010

By AJ 4 Comments

Welcome to the weekly round-up! You’ll see we have a different photo on the blog this week: it’s a painting by Disney animator Lorelay Bove being featured in an exhibit called Curiouser and Curiouser: Inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA. I absolutely love Bove’s art and thought there might be a few fans out there. If you happen to get to the exhibit, let me know how it is! Now…on to the round-up!

Firstly, I’d like to send a thanks to Jeannie Kim and Redbook Magazine for recommending The Disney Food Blog in a recent article about Walt Disney World planning.

Tables in Wonderland events for March are now available for booking!

The OC Register reports that Philippe Tosques comes from the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas to join the Napa Rose team as General Manager, replacing Michael Jordan.

Yesterland‘s Werner Weiss reviews Wally Boag: Clown Prince of Disneyland, highlighting one of The Golden Horseshoe Revue’s finest performers.

Samland’s Disney Adventures posts incredible historical information about and concept art of Disneyland’s Club 33.

AllEarsNet‘s Jack Spence brings us to the Yacht Club’s Crew’s Cup Lounge.

Progress City U.S.A. posts about a 1977 Gourmet Pantry cast-member-only sale on frozen meat. This is hilarious. Pls read.

Bluebonnets and Brownies developed a new Schoolbread cupcake based on the recipe for Epcot’s Norway pavilion’s famous pastry!

Etckt has shared a Disney Photo Challenge on flickr seeking out the most beautifully plated dishes (gorgeous!). Go join in and/or vote!

The Disney Chick is back with another great Boma recipe walk-through — Curry Butternut Soup.

Only WDWorld posts a review of Epcot’s Les Chefs de France.

Tim Maughan Books shares some Ponyo Cupcakes! (Thanks to Imaginerding for the link.)

Cooking With Mickey shares a review of Disneyland’s Goofy’s Kitchen.

Watch Me Eat heads to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.

Tables in Wonderland March Dining Events

By AJ Leave a Comment

This month’s Tables in Wonderland events include another Wave Dinner on March 18th, highlighting Florida’s own Santa Sweets, Inc.; and a very cool Raglan Road meet-the-Chef event (hosted by our favorite celebrity Master Chef, Kevin Dundon) scheduled for March 30th. This month’s Tables in Wonderland email also featured the new Garden Town Breakfast highlight from the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival; all Disney guests are welcome to register for this.

Scroll to the bottom of the post to see how you can book these events.

Click on the images below for enlarged view and details! [Read more…]

Tusker House Reserve Seating for Finding Nemo: The Musical

By AJ 7 Comments

findingnemo

For those of you who can’t see enough of the new Finding Nemo: The Musical in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, don’t forget that you can get reserved seating for the show if you dine at Tusker House for lunch between 1:00pm and 1:45pm!

This is a great deal — you get to eat at a fantastic restaurant and follow it up with one of the premier Disney shows on property (seriously; Finding Nemo: The Musical is a wonderful show). At the moment, cost is around $23 per adult and $13 per kid for the lunch buffet, but on March 28th, the cost goes up to around $27 per adult and $14 per kid.

Call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations 🙂

Image copyright Disney

Ice Cream Double Take

By AJ 25 Comments

You might think that all of the Disney parks sell the same ice cream treats — Mickey Premium Bars, Strawberry Bars, Itzakadoozie Pops, etc. But, would you believe, it looks like not all of the ice cream stands sell the same products!

I did a little experiment and took photos of ice cream stand menus in each park. Here are the results:

The Animal Kingdom ice cream board:

Animal Kingdom

[Read more…]

Guest Review: Garden Grill Restaurant

By AJ 35 Comments

Jeff Kocan, an incredible writer and blogger over at www.CigarettesandCoffee.com (he was the evil photographer of this little ditty — don’t look if you’re hungry), kindly penned and photographed this review of the Garden Grill Restaurant in Epcot’s The Land. This rotating restaurant is in many of our childhood memories, but these days, it’s got a new “spin.” (Couldn’t help it.) Take it away, Jeff!

For too many Walt Disney World visitors, The Land pavilion on the east side of Epcot’s Future World is probably best known as the building you rush through twice per visit – once to get Soarin’ Fastpasses and once to redeem them. It’s worth spending a little extra time here, though, as the building also houses an above-average food court, a more-fun-than-it-sounds agricultural boat ride, and one of the park’s most unique restaurants, the revolving Garden Grill.

The Garden Grill has been around since Epcot’s (or, if you will, EPCOT Center’s) opening day on October 1, 1982. Back then it was known as the Good Turn Restaurant; it became the Land Grille Room in 1986 before taking its current name in ’93. Lunch service here ended in 2008, and the restaurant now exclusively hosts Chip and Dale’s Harvest Feast, a family-style character dinner.

The Atmosphere
I tend to think of the Garden Grill as one of Disney World’s “forgotten” character meals — it certainly isn’t mentioned as frequently as, say, Chef Mickey’s or Cinderella’s Royal Table. That said, during our Sunday-night visit, the restaurant was full and the adjacent waiting area was packed with diners waiting for their buzzers to buzz. Said waiting area is essentially a vacant corner near the public restrooms, and aside from a couple benches, the ground is the only available seating. Germophobes may prefer to stand.

Once you’re in the restaurant itself, you’re treated to an experience unlike any other in the parks: [Read more…]

The New Pixie Stix

By AJ 7 Comments

OK — be honest — how many pixie stix have you poured into your mouth at once?! Well for all of you pixie stix kids, Goofy’s got some sour powder candy to rival your favorite sour snack.

You might have seen it like this:

Goofy's Sour Powder Candy

Or possibly like this:

But you can find it all over Walt Disney World! What’s YOUR favorite flavor combination?

[Read more…]

Carnevale di Venezia at Tutto Italia

By AJ 15 Comments

We recently had the chance to visit Tutto Italia during its Carnevale celebration!

Tutto Italia

Click for Larger Image: Carnevale Menu and Info at Tutto Italia

This celebration in Epcot’s Italy pavilion took place from February 8th through February 16th, and featured a special menu (click on the image above) and the wearing of masks by the cast members in the restaurant.

History of the REAL Carnevale di Venezia
The famous Carnevale di Venezia happens every year in Venice, Italy, during the weeks just before lent. Mask-wearing at social events during Carnevale was first recorded in the 11th century, and soon became a customary way for noblemen and dignitaries to conduct “business” — including gambling — incognito.

The tradition has had a rocky history, being regulated and also banned several times as Venice fell in and out of the hands of many different governors. Today, the celebration is more of a tourist event than anything else, but the art of mask-making is still alive. Just head into Epcot’s Italy to see a mask artist — and his many stunning creations — from time to time.

Atmosphere
Tutto Italia, which recently took over for Alfredo’s Ristorante (of New York City Alfredo’s fame), is a cloth-napkins kind of place. With crystal chandeliers and rich murals of the Italian countryside covering the walls, the restaurant — and its pricing — are a bit [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: February 21, 2010

By AJ 3 Comments

Eat here

It’s been a busy week, everyone! Just in case you missed them, here are a couple of headlines from the Disney Food Blog in the past few days: highlights from the Dinner:Impossible visit to Walt Disney World last week, and the options for foodies at the upcoming Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Also, check out Touring Plans for an analysis I did on whether Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ restaurants are a good value.

Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide reports that the preliminary list for the James Beard Award in the Best Chef Category includes Victoria and Albert’s Chef Scott Hunnel.

Orlando United shares some photos of WDW’s Crystal Palace with the refurb walls down.

DLRP Today reports that Disneyland Resort Paris’ Pizza Planet will become a Buzz Lightyear Buffet.

The Disney Chick takes you through the creation of one of my favorite Disney World desserts, Liberty Tree Tavern’s Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake.

DisneyShawn gives a peek into the imagineering of Mrs. Potts’ Cupboard and the Friar’s Nook in WDW’s Magic Kingdom.

Disney Parks Blog shares a dessert recipe from the Saratoga Springs’ Turf Club Restaurant.

AllEarsNet has a gorgeous photo-blog from Nine Dragons Restaurant in Epcot’s China.

Main Street Gazette writes about the Yakitori House in Epcot’s Japan.

DisUnplugged brings us to the Troubadour Tavern in Disneyland.

The Daily Disney from Orlando Sentinel shares a Coconut Curried Chicken Stew recipe from Boma at WDW’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Have a great week!

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