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EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Category: Table-Service

Review: Epcot’s Via Napoli

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Alrighty, folks, settle in — this is gonna be a long one! I very happily stuffed my face at Via Napoli twice on my last Orlando trip, and I’m pleased to share all the news on what has become one of my favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World!

Atmosphere

Located in Epcot’s Italy pavilion (walk straight to the back; you can’t miss it), this massive, airplane-hanger-of-a-room is cavernous, but beautiful and filled with light, hustle, bustle, and the most amazing smells.

Via Napoli Dining Room

Artisan tiles dot the floor; whimsical chandeliers hang like ornaments throughout the restaurant; chipping frescoes give depth to the walls; and old-fashioned travel-themed artwork reminds you of all the places in Italy you haven’t been. The warm, neutral colors with pops of [Read more…]

The Big Deal About Butterscotch Pudding

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“Holy delicious!!” “Not to miss.” “Crazy good.” These are the kinds of reviews I’d been hearing about the butterscotch pudding at the new La Luce by Donna Scala at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort. That’s right; butterscotch pudding. Like, the stuff you remember from when you were a kid that came out of a box or a plastic cup and was pretty much what was left over after everyone else ate the chocolate pudding. I was skeptical to say the least. I’ve clearly never been a butterscotch pudding fan.

But my favorite review — and the one that made me finally want to close the book on this dessert — was from TampaBay.com’s food critic, Jim Webster: “There are other options beside the butterscotch pudding. They may even be good. Ignore them.”

It turns out this stuff even has its own facebook fan page.

Fast forward to my recent Orlando trip where we got the chance to head over to La Luce (the Hilton Bonnet Creek is located between Downtown Disney and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, inside the WDW gates) and finally try it.

La Luce Butterscotch Pudding

And, yeah. This is not the pudding you remember from your lunch box — or even from your grandma’s homemade recipe. Made with 12-year Macallan Scotch, the pudding is velvety rich, and creamy. There’s no hint of [Read more…]

New Restaurants on Track in Disney California Adventure

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As part of Disneyland Resort’s ginormous expansion and refurb of Disney’s California Adventure, the park is welcoming several new restaurants to the mix!

Paradise Pier

At Paradise Pier, you’ll soon find Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta and the Paradise Garden Grill taking up residence. You can see the concept art for the new restaurants here! Clearly Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy are very excited, as indicated by these fun construction walls set up in DCA (thanks to our Disneyland Correspondent, Heather Sievers, for the pics!).

Cars Land

And over in Cars Land, we’ll find three new spots to munch: The Cozy Cone Motel will sell “cone” themed goodies, Fillmore’s Taste-In will sell “natural snacks and drinks,” and Flo’s V8 Cafe will serve diner food inspired by the restaurants found along Route 66. The OC Register published an awesome map of the space recently, and they have more Cars Land info here.

copyright Disneyland; published by OC Register

Can’t wait!! (And for those who got the pun in the title, my apologies ;-D)

Disney Food Post Round-Up: November 7, 2010

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Brewer's Collection at Disney's California Food and Wine Festival 2010

Hey all — welcome to the Disney Food Post Round-Up!

The big — and sad — Disney food news this week is about Disneyland’s unfortunate announcement that Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival will be canceled in 2011 and 2012, with no promises that it will return in 2013. You can read my thoughts here.

Also, we’re going into the final week of the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival! I hear the lines are getting really long, so plan ahead! You can see all of our coverage here, and World Showcase Booth food photos, menus, and prices here!

Now, on to the round-up!

Yesterland has a photo eulogy for the Disney World Downtown Disney McDonald’s — along with a couple of construction pics from the upcoming Pollo Campero!

Frugal Dinks has a great review of the Food and Sake pairing in Epcot’s Japan at the Food and Wine Festival!

Main Street Gazette has another peek into the Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Check out these gorgeous photos (and review) of the United States booth’s incredible heirloom tomato dish.

WDW Today Podcast has a very cool (if I do say so myself…) look at the new restaurants in Epcot’s World Showcase…and Karamell Kuche, too!

Mouseplanet has the dish on ordering celebration cakes in Disneyland!!

DisneyGeek has a pic of some Disney-branded potato chips in Disney California Adventure (Disney makes ‘tater chips?)

The Culinary Cellar enjoyed a wonderful visit to the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill, with a few extras thrown in!

Disney Parks Blog showcases the Thanksgiving Buffet at Vero Beach Resort, as well as this great video about creating quick, easy, and beautiful caramel ice cream toppers from one of our favorite Chefs — Kevin Dundon (see our interview with Chef Dundon here)!

Remember! The Orlando Food and Wine Festival is November 13-14 — learn more over on Watch Me Eat.

Dining in Disneyland: Steakhouse 55 Brunch

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I promised a second new columnist this week, and here she is! Heather Sievers (you can read her bio here!) — a Disney expert, business owner, wife, and mom of two boys who calls Disneyland her second home — will be popping in from time to time to share some great stories about Dining in Disneyland!

The boys in my household LOVE a good steak, so a few years ago we opted for Steakhouse 55 instead of Goofy’s Kitchen which are side by side in the Disneyland Hotel. Don’t get me wrong, Goofy’s Kitchen is a blast, but if you are looking for something more peaceful, elegant, and rich in décor, you must check out Steakhouse 55. And while most people think of Steakhouse 55 as a dinner spot, one of Disneyland’s best kept secrets is the brunch served there!

Atmosphere

From the minute you walk through the lobby, you are taken back in time. The décor features lush purple velvet chairs, beautiful lighting and walls covered in large black and white photos of old Hollywood stars. It is a completely [Read more…]

Review: Il Mulino New York Trattoria

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For years, I’ve been hearing from various sources that the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin’s Il Mulino New York Trattoria is the best Italian food on Disney World property, hands down, and I finally got the chance to try the restaurant on my recent trip to Orlando!

Atmosphere

For those who haven’t been there, the Swan and Dolphin is located right between Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and is within walking distance of Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park. Open only for dinner, the higher-end restaurant’s prices range between [Read more…]

Disney Food for Families: Choosing the Right Character Meal for Your Family

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Goofy's about to hang ten at Cape May Cafe

I’m excited to announce that we have two new Disney Food Blog columnists coming on board this week, but they’re not actually new to you! You’ve seen them guest blogging for Disney Food Blog for quite some time… First up, Ms. Erin Foster will be writing the Disney Food for Families Column. She’ll be giving us a unique perspective on dining with kids on Disney vacations, starting today with some great tools that will help you choose the best character meal for your needs! Welcome, Erin!

I recently helped my neighbor Stephanie plan her restaurant selections for an upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. Among her many questions was one that I hear often, “Which character meal should we go to?”

What’s a Character Meal, and How Do I Decide On One?

Character Meals

are an iconic part of the Disney experience when traveling with children, or children at heart. There are ten different character meal venues at WDW proper, plus a few others in satellite locations.

For those of you new to Disney travel, character meals are dining experiences in which Disney characters are present in the restaurant. They generally travel from table to table, stopping to interact with each party for a hug, photo, autograph, or possibly a conversation. Your group gets guaranteed quality time with characters in [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: October 31, 2010

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Disney Halloween Decor...Featuring Caramel Apples

Happy Halloween! Don’t forget to check out some of the many spooky and fun treats found in Disney Parks:
Halloween Cupcakes in Disney Parks
Disneyland Halloween treats
Disney World Halloween Treats
Even MORE Halloween Treats in Disney Parks

And here are some of our favorite Disney food posts from around the web:

Watch Me Eat heads to WDW’s House of Blues for the Gospel Brunch!

Disney Parks Blog showcases an incredible Halloween Wedding Cake!

Main Street Gazette tempts us with a trip to Karamell Kuche!

Eating (and Drinking) Around the World makes Sweet Potato Puree with Mango BBQ sauce from the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

Theme Park Mom comments on La Hacienda de San Angel’s decor!

Wine-Girl.net reviews the Disney World Downtown Disney Portobello Meatball Bar.

Scott Joseph Orlando Scott Joseph also takes us to La Hacienda de San Angel with his expert review.

Everything WDW reveals the 2011 date for the Wine and Dine run!

Holiday Menus, Dining Events, and Discounts at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin

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Headed to Disney World during November or December? The Disney World Swan and Dolphin have some great menus and events planned — and even some spectacular discounts and free gifts!

Specialty Menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas

Thanksgiving and Christmas bring the holiday spirit to some of our favorite restaurants in [Read more…]

Review: Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort

By 13 Comments

Tucked into Disneyland Resort’s premier Grand Californian Resort is a restaurant eager to pay tribute to the art that made Walt Disney and the animators who followed him so critical to our lives today: storytelling.

Atmosphere

Just as the Grand Californian is themed in the Craftsman architecture style, Storytellers Cafe boasts broad, dark wood-scapes, milky stained glass and metal cut-out decor, earthy colors, and solidly [Read more…]

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