food IS a theme park
Let’s face it… Mickey isn’t the only one who loves MINNIE MOUSE around here!
©Disney
That’s why Sunday, January 22nd is set aside for us all to #RocktheDots in honor of Minnie on a VERY fitting occasion: National Polka Dot Day! [Read more…]
OK, where my Disney World veterans at?!? This one is for you guys — my compadres who have known and loved Disney for decades…and who know exactly what I’m talking about when I mention…“BEVERLY.”
Club Cool Flavors – click for larger version
You either love it…or you REALLY, REALLY HATE IT! That’s the dealio when it comes to Beverly, a carbonated drink popular in Italy (or so they say) made by the Coca-Cola company. Having their friends and family try the super-bitter Beverly at Epcot’s Club Cool has been a sneaky trick that long-time Disney World fans have played for years.
But now? Poor Beverly is getting her own!
Last summer, Chef Art Smith opened Homecoming Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine in Disney Springs — and it quickly became one of our new favorite dining spots at Walt Disney World. The menu is full of Southern comfort foods including Church Lady Deviled Eggs, some of the best Fried Chicken we’ve ever tasted, and just-like-mom-used-to-make Macaroni and Cheese.
The dessert menu showcases several Southern specialties but two of the items absolutely stand out! When you’re there, you MUST try the Shine Cake and the Hummingbird Cake!
Hummingbird Cake — Up Close
Today we have the recipe for the amazing Hummingbird Cake, a southern specialty combining a moist pineapple and banana cake with luxuriously thick cream cheese frosting!
We’re back at The BOATHOUSE for dinner today on DFB!
(And you’re gonna have to pardon me. Because I know it’s called The BOATHOUSE — but all those caps get a little tiresome, IMO. So I hope it’s ok with you if I write it all normally and stuff from here on out.)
So, here’s what happened. I had some time to kill on a recent holiday trip to Walt Disney World one evening. I found myself hungry and without an advance dining reservation when I remembered the excellent lunch that I’d had at The Boathouse.
That hadn’t been the only DFB trip to the restaurant. While we enjoyed our first visit and look around the place, we definitely walked away with a mild case of sticker shock. Our second lunch time visit, during which we checked out both the lunch and bar menu, yielded a much more enjoyable experience. We found some truly delicious fare at a far lower price point.
So — it seemed like a good time to check back in, and see if we could work the same hocus pocus on the dinner hour — a meal at The Boathouse that didn’t require a small loan to afford. Did we succeed? Let’s check it out.
You’ll find The Boathouse sort of anchoring The Landing area in Disney Springs. As you travel through the shops on your way from West Side to Marketplace along the water side, you can’t miss it.
The Boathouse
The Boathouse Entrance
The restaurant is much larger than it looks from the outside, with four separate dining rooms and three different bars. [Read more…]
We’re back today with another DFB YouTube Video! Today, we’re coming at you with Tips from the DFB Guide — Three Great Ways to Save on Food at Disney!
Eat a Big Breakfast, Like a Pop! Waffle!
We know that EATING on your Disney vacation is not only one of your biggest pleasures — it’s absolutely necessary. BUT it can also represent a huge part of your budget.
We’re headed BACK to Disney Springs!
In the past six months, Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) has gone from a spot that I didn’t visit very often to a place I prioritize on every Disney trip.
There is so much to explore at the newly re-imagined shopping, dining, and entertainment district that I never feel like I never get to the end of it all!
While I took in the seasonal flavors of spots like newbie Amorette’s Patisserie (see what we tried here) and classic Goofy’s Candy Company, I also stopped into The Ganachery.
The Ganachery Storefront
This teensy tiny shop, located in The Landing “neighborhood” of Disney Springs, has been open for a while now. Check out our first impressions of the shop in our initial tour and review.
And I’m not kidding when I say that it’s tiny. Like, shoebox-like. If there’s a crowd, it can be hard to turn around. [Read more…]
Happy New Year, DFB Friends!
Let’s face it: 2016 handed us some real bummers. But there were some good things that happened, too. And that’s especially true where Disney Food is concerned.
The Sun is Setting on 2016!
Today as we gather our noisemakers, funny hats, and bubbly to ring in the New Year, let’s take a few minutes to review some of the biggest Disney Food News Stories of 2016.
Are you with me? Let’s go! [Read more…]
We’re back at Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming Florida Kitchen for another visit today!
You might be scratching your head and wondering, “But AJ, you guys were just there a little bit ago. Why a return so soon?” Well, lots of reasons, actually. But the primary one is this: Once is never enough when it comes to reviewing Disney restaurants. Restaurants in the ‘World are notoriously inconsistent, and while Homecoming impressed us initially, I always like to duck into a new spot after it’s been open for a bit, just to see if the shine and sheen are still around. In fact, we review spots over and over, so we can always make the best recommendations for our readers.
In addition, dear friends of mine invited me to tag along for a catch up session, and Homecoming was the agreed upon choice for dinner. And like I’m gonna say no to Fried Chicken? Not likely.
Besides, there’s plenty to cover on this menu, and a follow up visit gave me a chance to show you a few new things.
Let’s check out how Homecoming is doing, a few months along in the journey.
The premise of Homecoming Florida Kitchen (HFK) is pretty cool, actually. Chef Art Smith is a native Floridian, who even spent some of the early years of his career as a Cast Member at Disney. So it’s befitting that the restaurant’s name is Homecoming, as he returns to his home state.
Sign
The restaurant is a celebration of Old-Meets-New Florida in so many ways. The architecture echoes Florida Vernacular style, with lots of windows to let the light in, and deep overhangs from the hip roof to keep the heat out. [Read more…]
Are your halls decked? Are your presents wrapped? Are you bursting with anticipation as you’re getting ready to celebrate the HOLIDAYS?!?
Cinderella Castle all lit up!
Because it’s the Most Wonderful — and Delicious! — Time of the Year at Walt Disney World! And we’re taking a tour around the Parks, Disney Springs, and several Disney Resorts to find out What’s New for this most festive season! [Read more…]
Last month we shared the exciting news that Wine Bar George was confirmed for Disney Springs, and a while back a groundbreaking was held for the new wine bar.
Artist rendering of Wine Bar George ©Disney
Wine Bar George will be headed by Master Sommelier George Miliotes — one of only 230 Master Sommeliers in the world — and will be located across from Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar and next to Raglan Road’s Hole in the Wall.
The 210-seat wine bar will be built to resemble a winemaker’s home estate, and the featured wines will represent established wineries as well as “up-and-coming growing regions and wineries.” Wine Bar George will also serve small plates, with 7-12 items on the menu.
At Wednesday’s groundbreaking the Master Sommelier even took part in the inaugural champagne sabering!
Inaugural champagne sabering
In addition to enjoying wines and small plates, guests at Wine Bar George can also expect special events featuring visits from renowned winemakers.
Wine Bar George is slated to open in the fall of 2017.
Are you looking forward to Wine Bar George? Let us know in the comments.
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