Guest Review: Palo Brunch on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship

Welcome guest author Vikki Hurley-Schubert with a review of brunch at Palo on the Disney Wonder (Alaska Style)!

Vikki and her husband with friends!

Brunch at Palo is a must-do for us when onboard any one of the Disney Cruise Line ships. So, we were excited for our brunch while aboard the inaugural Alaskan cruise earlier this month and delighted in every morsel we tasted.

The highlight of the meal for me was the strawberry soup – I must confess, I did have two – one during brunch and one for dessert! It was a fragrant, rich, bright strawberry flavor and a rich magenta color with a minty background. It wasn’t too creamy or watery either – it tasted like fresh picked strawberries!

Strawberry Soup

Before our entrees arrived, we hit the tables of seafood, cheeses and fruit. The shrimp were cooked perfectly as were the crab legs. My husband loved the salmon, salmon mousse and cheeses. The asparagus wrapped in prosciutto were [Read more…]

Start of Summer Sale! on the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining

By AJ Leave a Comment

Happy Start of Summer, everyone! We’re celebrating vacation season with a great discount on our critically-acclaimed guidebook to eating in Disney World. This weekend, celebrate vacation season by getting your very own Disney Food Blog Guide for 20% off the regular purchase price using code: Summer on the check-out page!

If you don’t have your Disney Food Blog Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book yet, this is the time to buy. Want to help someone else plan the best possible trip to Disney World? Purchase the DFB Guide as a gift!

The Disney Food Blog’s Guide to dining in Walt Disney World features 250 full-color pages of information, planning suggestions, tips, and details about eating in Disney World, including where you can dine in Disney World 24-hours a day, where to get a self-serve Dole Whip whenever the whim strikes you, what to do when you’re late for an Advance Dining Reservation, and even where to get interesting kids’ food for your adventurous eater.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, “This comprehensive e-book is a valuable tool for both first-time visitors and Disney World veterans.”

DFB Guide Sample Page

Money-Back Guarantee

With a 30-day money-back guarantee, your purchase is 100% risk-free! If you’re unsatisfied with the book for any reason, you can receive a refund, no questions asked. This discount will last this weekend only, so get your copy today 🙂

Bonus Items

Don’t forget, with your purchase you will receive four e-Worksheets! These re-usable worksheets can guide you as you plan your vacation, or can serve as a great place to keep all of your important confirmation numbers, plans, and trip notes! They also have spots to note any snacks and foods you want to be sure to try!

You’ll also receive as part of your purchase an exhaustive index of Disney World Bars and Lounges, and several One-Day Dining Strategies that offer suggestions for where and what to eat in a variety of circumstances.

To see more testimonials and recommendations, sample pages, and details on Bonus items when you purchase, visit http://DFBGuide.com! Don’t forget to use code Summer at check-out!

Have a great summer, everyone!

“Up” in Oakland at Fentons Creamery

By Heather 17 Comments

Dining in Disneyland columnist Heather Sievers brings back a heartwarming and tummy-pleasing story from her recent visit to Northern California…

You know the adorable scene in Pixar’s Up where Mr. Fredricksen, Russell & Dug are having a tasty treat sitting on the curb of an ice cream shop? Well guess what? That ice cream shop is a real place!

Fentons Creamery As Seen in Pixar's Up

On a recent trip to San Francisco, our good friends took us to a very special place in Oakland, California: Fentons Creamery.

Around since 1894, E.S. Fenton began his business delivering dairy products from a horse drawn wagon. Twenty-eight years later in 1922, the Fenton family opened their first soda shop and ice cream parlor. Fast forward to 2009 and they’ve got Pixar featuring them in their double Academy Award winning feature film, Up. Until our visit, I had no idea that Fentons was a “real” place.

Fentons Creamery: Oakland, CA

Our visit to Fentons took place on a Sunday night. We didn’t even arrive until after 8:00 pm. In fact, on the way there, I was wondering if our friends had even checked the hours, because what ice cream shop would be [Read more…]

Would You Eat a Cars 2 Car?

By Erin 11 Comments

Disney Food for Families columnist Erin Foster weighs in on Cars 2 Merchandise!

Back on Valentine’s Day, I was lucky enough to attend a D23 member event in New York City in conjunction with the annual Toy Fair. Attendees witnessed the unveiling of the range of toys that would be licensed for the June 24 Cars 2 film release. At the event, Disney Consumer Products Senior Vice President of Global Toys (cool title, eh?), Vince Klaseus, announced that Cars 2 would have more branded toys than any previous Disney/Pixar [Read more…]

Review: New Menu at Bull and Bear Steakhouse

By AJ 22 Comments

One of my favorite steakhouses in Orlando, Bull and Bear at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, has re-vamped their menu. It’s become, if you can believe it, even better. You can see my initial review of the Bull and Bear here, to compare notes.

Atmosphere

Dark, luxurious, and plush. When you walk into this restaurant through the “library” of wine and the pleasant lounge, you don’t just hope for an incredible meal. You anticipate one.

Entryway

Dining Room Seating

We arrived for a tasting of the new menu and couldn’t wait to explore the new dishes. We’d been told that the chef, David Sears, wanted to expand a bit, creating dishes that one might not see on a standard steakhouse menu…

Eats

We started the meal with a bang — literally. Our first tasting plate was prefaced with a beautiful Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé champagne. This was easily my favorite pairing of the evening — fresh, fruity, very light. What a great way to begin!

Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé

This was paired with a rare salmon (Chef Sears flies this line-caught salmon in at the rate of just a few per week) cured with citrus and tarragon and finished with mache lettuce, pommelo, and [Read more…]

The Wonderful World of Mickey Waffles

By Kim LaPaglia 22 Comments

Update:Chocolate chip Mickey Waffles

are now available at Whispering Canyon Cafe! Also, the Contempo Cafe has begun serving the large Mickey Waffle, while Sleepy Hollow has stopped serving it.

___

One food item I crave at all places Disney is the Mickey Waffle. A Disney breakfast staple, the Mickey waffle is deliciously thick, made with malted flour for that one-of-a-kind taste, and often served with maple syrup. Of course, you might also get powdered sugar or even fruit topping on yours!!

Mickey Waffles

Mickey waffles are everywhere. At the Whispering Canyon Cafe, they are plentiful — both on the a la carte menu and in the all-you-can eat skillet. Don’t forget to try the chocolate chip version!

Waffles with Mickey’s famous face are also served! You can find him at Contempo Cafe in the Contemporary Resort…

Giant Mickey Waffle at Sleepy Hollow

And the Mickey waffle at the All-Star Sports food court, Intermission, is [Read more…]

Interview: Marianne Hunnel, Epcot Food & Wine Festival Content Development

By AJ 7 Comments

Chef Marianne Hunnel

As you know, I was given the opportunity to speak yesterday evening with Marianne Hunnel, Area Manager, Event Content Development for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. She has a job that seems to be in equal parts exhilarating and difficult — and she loves it!

Without further ado, let’s jump into what I learned about the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and its true headliner, Marianne Hunnel! At the end of this post, we have a few pieces of news about what you’ll find that’s new at the 2011 Festival!

How A Festival Comes Together

With five years of directing content development for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival (six festivals altogether), Marianne Hunnel is an expert at shepherding her small, mighty team when it comes to building something bigger and better every single year. Of course, her 15 years working as a Chef on Disney World Property doesn’t hurt in terms of knowing what Disney guests are looking for when it comes to a dining experience!

Planning and development for these 45 festival days takes all year, and includes a lot of research. The first place they turn? Last year’s Food and Wine Festival guests! “[We] take a look at feedback from guests — what people liked, what was not doing very well. We really listen to the guests.”

After taking stock of what you, me, and the rest of the guests preferred last year, the team begins scouting the global trends taking over the food space and begin putting together menu items and tastings. To get unique and authentic input, Hunnel and the team speak with cast members — especially those hailing from countries represented in the World Showcase Marketplace Booths — to collect ideas, reviews, and even family recipes!

According to Hunnel, the festival should always be “interesting, exciting, and educational.”

Trends and Concepts Affecting the Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Healthy Dining

An ongoing focus of the festival is healthy dining. “[We are] trying to incorporate fresh and healthy foods that are indigenous to the regions represented around the marketplace. …And we do it in subtle ways. Guests can say, ‘Wow, you can eat healthy and enjoy going to a festival without feeling really guilty,'” says Hunnel.

In fact, a new event focusing on families and healthy dining will take place on October 29th, featuring Andrew Zimmern and two other celebrity chefs, Bryan Voltaggio and Chris Cosentino. The event will “show the Chefs as Dads. They’re going to have their kids with them, who will be showing techniques that the family can [Read more…]

2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival to Debut Chocolate Seminars

By AJ 3 Comments

I had the (very much appreciated) opportunity to speak this evening with Marianne Hunnel, Area Manager, Event Content Development for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. In addition to learning lots of fun facts about the Festival — including how much year-round hard work goes into making it happen — I heard a few fun tidbits about the 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival that I can’t wait to share with you!

I’ll be writing up the interview to post tomorrow, but this particular detail was too much fun to keep to myself! On three select Sundays during the festival, guests will have the opportunity to attend a Chocolate Discoveries Seminar!

Patterned after the popular Food and Wine Festival Cheese Seminars, Chocolate Discoveries will allow guests to first sample four different chocolates in their natural bar form while a presenter discusses the flavor variations.

Then, guests will have the opportunity to taste a savory dish made with chocolate, desserts made with chocolate, and even chocolate-inspired wine and cocktails!

Sounds like this seminar was made for me! We’ll keep you updated on the details. Booking is available on August 16th, online and by calling 407-WDW-FEST.

As always, all events are subject to change (especially when they haven’t been officially announced yet!)

For more information on the festival, keep an eye on our continuously updated 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival page.

Kouzzina Chef’s Table and Flying Fish Chef’s Counter Updates

By Kim LaPaglia 5 Comments

Editor’s Note: Kouzzina’s Chef’s Table has been discontinued.

Learn About:Kouzzina

Boardwalk Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

We mentioned back in December that Kouzzina was going to be announcing a Chef’s Table soon, but now we actually have some details thanks to reader Chris H!

We’ve also got some updates about the Flying Fish Chef’s Counter next door to Kouzzina (thanks to the same!).

Kouzzina Chef’s Table

Kouzzina

offers a Chef’s Table tasting menu at this Boardwalk Resort restaurant, and Iron Chef Cat Cora’s worked hard at creating the menu! (Nope, Cat’s not usually there, but at least her stamp is on the dishes.)

Guests of the Chef’s Table will be presented with some of Cat Cora’s personal favorites during this five-course experience in the intimate CoraNation Room. Explore the flavors of the Mediterranean as the Chef (the day to day Chef; not Cora herself) interacts during the presentation of each course. While candles flicker, your dinner will include fresh seafood and oak-grilled specialties. Check out a photo of the appetizer course here.

The Kouzzina Chef’s Table experience costs $69.23 per person and can accommodate up to 24 people (age 10 and older). Complement your special meal with wine pairings for an additional $35-plus per person. Payment is due when reserving. A dress code applies: Men – Khakis, slacks, jeans, dress shorts, collared shirts. Sport coats are optional. Ladies – Capris, skirts, dresses, jeans, dress shorts. Reservations which are highly recommended can be made at 407-939-3463 up to 180 days in advance of your meal. Please note any special diet needs when booking. A 48 hour cancellation policy is in effect.

When
Friday and Saturday 6:30 p.m.

Flying Fish Chef’s Counter Update

The Flying Fish Cafe’s Chef’s Counter offers a memorable meal for guests 21 and over!

Crispy Tempura Soft Shell Crab

Previously guests were seated in six chairs on the left side of the saute/pasta station. Due to popular demand, more seats have been added to this special tasting experience! At least 3 additional seats are now available on the right side directly in front of the fish/risotto station. These new seats can get a bit [Read more…]

Disney World Margarita Gallery

By AJ 45 Comments

This post was originally going to be a throwdown, but I had so many margaritas I wanted to share with you that it ended up being a curated gallery for heaven’s sake!

Also, I hope you guys are willing to share with me in the comments section your favorite margaritas (and maybe even your pictures of them to add to the gallery!).

Take a look through the reviews below and let me know what I’m missing! Let’s work together to make this comprehensive! 🙂

Multiple Locations: Margarita Flight

Finally, if you just can’t make up your mind, head over to one of Disney World’s Mexican restaurants (they’re all run by the same company) and order a Margarita Flight! I’ve mentioned it a couple of times already here on DFB, but it’s really a great option if you’d like to try multiple different flavors.

Margarita Flight

As daily readers know, my favorites here are the Lime, Mango Blueberry, and Pineapple. Not so much with the veggies and the flowers. 😉

You can get these at most of Disney’s Mexican food locations, including Maya Grill and Rix Lounge at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot’s World Showcase.

If you’re very, very lucky, you can also get one in my favorite place in all of Disney World — La Cava del Tequila. They are only served on certain days here.

Paradiso 37: Twisted Margarita and Regular Margarita

Paradiso 37 in Downtown Disney offers this fabulous concoction that’s half frozen sangria and half frozen margarita. Yes please! They call it the Twisted Margarita…

Twisted Margarita -- half sangria half margarita

Their classic margarita is fantastic — and just about the farthest thing from watered down you can get. Boasted as their famous Souza margarita, the Paradiso 37 lived up to its accolades!

Paradiso 37 Margarita

High Octane Refreshments: Stoplight Margarita

Over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this little outdoor bar has quite a few offerings. Now I expected this Stoplight margarita to be the same high-alcohol, low-flavor type that we see at the Epcot Margarita kiosk (see below). But boy was I wrong!! After years of fiesta margaritas in Epcot, this was a breath of fresh air!

Mixer-mass-produced, yes — flavorless, no! I loved the mix of melon, strawberry, and lime flavors in this frozen drink. Kudos, High Octane Refreshments!

Stoplight Margarita

La Hacienda de San Angel: Orange Mango Fire Margarita

Margaritas are a specialty at La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot, and you can’t go wrong with the classic margarita here.

But for something different, try the [Read more…]

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Guest Review: Palo Brunch on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship