Guest Review: Croque Monsieur at Magic Kingdom's Be Our Guest Restaurant

Guest Review: Croque Monsieur at Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest Restaurant

Please welcome guest author Julie B. as she shares with us some great details about the traditional Croque Monsieur at Be Our Guest Restaurant. To read about other lunch items at Be Our Guest Restaurant, click here. To experience Be Our Guest dinner review, click here.

Today, I’m excited to bring you news about another item from the counter service lunch offerings at Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland.

On a cold Florida morning recently, we were delighted to find Be Our Guest Restaurant was open for lunch service! With such interesting options on the interactive kiosk screen, it was a little difficult to make a decision.

I had a couple of opportunities to try lunch during my recent visit, but on this particular day, I couldn’t wait to sample the Croque Monsieur.

Adult Lunch Menu -- Click to Enlarge

The bread was a hearty whole grain variety, which I prefer (I’m a big fan of seeds and grains in my bread, especially to add a little crunch to the softer sandwich fillings). The ham was cut in thick slices, and lent itself to more of a rustic French cafe feel, which seems to be what they are trying to achieve at lunch time.

The cheese was nutty and salty, and the béchamel blended in a bit with the cheese and soaked into the bread. I enjoyed a little extra sauce that oozed out of tiny pockets in the bread. A side of béchamel would be great dip for your fries! It was a perfect combo.

Croque Monsieur and Pommes Frites

I did find it to be very [Read more…]

Guest Review: Chef Robert Irvine Culinary Demo at Epcot Food & Wine Festival

By Kim LaPaglia 8 Comments

Join us in welcoming 14-year-old guest author Katie Smith with a review of the culinary demonstration given by super popular Chef Robert Irvine at the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival! I love hearing about the Food and Wine Festival from the perspective of one of our younger readers! Thanks, Katie!

On Thursday October 25, 2012, my family and I got to see Robert Irvine’s culinary demonstration at the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

Atmosphere

We had been to Cat Cora’s culinary demonstration earlier that month and thought we knew what to expect. Turns out, we had no idea. I am a huge fan of Robert Irvine, so I was really excited to watch him cook and eat his food!

To start out, there was a representative from Hannah Winery & Vineyards from Sonoma County, California. The wine was a Hanna Chardonnay.

All about Hannah Winery & Vineyards

Then Robert was introduced and proceeded to tell everyone to stand up, put their cameras down, their hands in the air and to go wild. It was a good way to warm up the crowd.

Then, he started cooking the dish, which was a Seared Scallop, Polenta, and Demi-glace. He was very big on audience participation and had an audience helper on stage almost the whole time.

Cooking Polenta with Robert Irvine

Eats

The scallop was cooked perfectly, the polenta was creamy and delicious, and the [Read more…]

Disney Recipe: Maple Crème Brûlée from Epcot’s Le Cellier Steakhouse

By AJ 6 Comments

I’ve tried a lot of Disney Crème Brûlée, and this one is definitely near the top of the list!

Learn About:Le Cellier Steakhouse

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

Time to head over to Epcot and into fan (and DFB!) favorite Le Cellier Steakhouse for today’s Disney recipe!

The Maple Crème Brûlée here has got to be one of the most-often ordered desserts on the menu, and it’s very clear why! The super creamy custard has exactly the right amount of sweet maple flavor — and it’s perfect for the holidays!

So while we can’t provide a Moosehead or a serenade by Off Kilter to complete the virtual trip to Epcot’s Canada Pavilion, this decadent dessert will go a long way to putting a smile on your face!

Maple Crème Brûlée from Epcot's Le Cellier Steakhouse

Maple Crème Brûlée

Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
9 egg yolks [Read more…]

Disney Gift Guide 2012: 25% Off DisneyStore.com Sale! Our Fun Disney Dining Picks…

By AJ 6 Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — or it almost is, and that’s about the same thing, right? 🙂

If you’re looking to get a little jump on your Christmas entertaining and gift shopping, we’re here to help. Today through Monday, November 12, you can take 25% off of everything storewide at DisneyStore.com! Just use code DISNEYPAL at check-out to grab that discount.

I can’t think of a better way to kick off my holiday shopping and entertaining — can you?

To show off a few of my favorite gift ideas (yep — you can get gifts for YOURSELF, too!), I thought we could combine two of my favorite things — dinner and Disney! All of these items will be perfect accents for your holiday entertaining this year. Let’s go!

Mickey Snowflake Beverage Charms

Greet your guests with a cold cocktail when they arrive, and help them to keep track of their drink throughout the evening with chic Beverage Charms. Don Draper never looked so fabulous!

Mickey Mouse Icon Beverage Glass Charms Set

Mickey Mouse Bamboo Coasters

Offer friends a trendy place to put their glasses with this set of Mickey Bamboo Coasters. Sleek and sophisticated, these subtle and understated coasters are a perfect addition to just about any decor.

Bamboo Mickey Mouse Coaster Set

Animator’s Palette Appetizer Plates

Serve your tapas on these cool Animator’s Palette Appetizer Plates. They’re just like the ones you’ll find in the restaurant aboard Disney Cruise Line ships!

Animator's Palette Appetizer Plate

Animator’s Palette Butter Knives

If butter or cheese is on the buffet, be sure to pick up a few of these sleek Animator’s Palette Butter Knives. [Read more…]

Coming Soon! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays, 2012!

By AJ 11 Comments

Wishing for the best holiday trip ever at Walt Disney World? Done!

Planning strategies change drastically during Disney World’s busiest season of the year! And we’ll soon be sharing all of the best planning tips and tricks — and hidden gems that are available only during the holidays — in our brand new DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays, 2012, e-Book!

Whether you want to avoid the crowds, choose meals that are perfect for your family, discover the best gingerbread displays, attend seasonal special events, or visit with Santa, The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays, 2012, will help you pick and choose the perfect plans.

And this time, we’re not just talking about food. While there will be plenty of holiday-specific food and dining information, we’re also including extensive Disney holiday activity and event information — and even a monthly schedule of events for the winter holidays. This is the perfect way to prep for your holiday Disney vacation this year…or get a jump on the game for next year!

Sneak Peek!

With well over 100 pages of information and photos (actually, at last edit it was more like 150+ pages!), you’ll get all [Read more…]

Guest Review: Ten Tips for Disney Cruise Dining with a Toddler

By AJ 7 Comments

Welcome to guest author Julia Mascardo with an informative review and GREAT TIPS for dining with a toddler aboard the Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship!

In any given week, toddlers may decide that they want to eat everything offered to them — or they may want to dine on goldfish crackers and string cheese for every meal.

When you are on land, it isn’t a major problem to make sure your toddler’s whims are met even if you are on vacation. But the idea of spending a week at the mercy of a cruise ship’s galley might make a parent reconsider the idea of cruising.

After spending a week aboard the Disney Fantasy, I found that with a little advance planning, toddler dining on a Disney cruise can be an enjoyable experience—for parents and children alike.

Even if your child doesn’t get desserts at home, you probably will want to allow a little indulgence when on board — like this decorate-your-own-cupcake dessert!

Here are my top 10 tips for making the most of Disney cruise dining with a toddler:

1. Pick your battles

When adults are on vacation, they eat in ways that they wouldn’t eat at home. The same can be said for toddlers.

If you have certain rules that you want to enforce on ship, let your servers know. For instance, if your child must have three bites of vegetables before any macaroni and cheese, they can bring out a plate of vegetables for those required three bites and then bring out a “next course” of pasta.

Flexibility with rules can make life easier, however. If you are okay with treats like doughnuts for breakfast and French fries with every meal, that flexibility may make the experience more pleasant for everyone.

Buffets offer opportunities for your child to pick what he or she wants to eat— and for you to decide what you put on the plate.

2. If you don’t see it, ask

Our daughter drinks milk with every meal. But milk was not listed on the room service menu as a drink option for lunch or dinner, and was not visible at the buffet restaurant Cabanas for lunch.

Milk is available, but sometimes you need to ask where to find it.

One quick question to a cast member and I found that room service will not only will deliver milk, but you can set up for a daily scheduled delivery at a specific time if desired.

For lunch at Cabanas, milk is stored behind the manned salad bar station. All you have to do is ask a cast member, and he or she will [Read more…]

Dining in Disneyland Review: The Earl has Finally Arrived!

By Heather 23 Comments

With an original opening date scheduled early last Summer, Southern California sandwich lovers have been abuzz about the new Earl of Sandwich restaurant not opening their doors on time.

I am ecstatic to announce that the doors have been opened and those lovely golden bricks have been flying through that little toasty oven faster than you can say “Holiday Turkey Sandwich, please!”

Earl of Sandwich Downtown Disney