Disney Food Post Round-Up: November 29, 2009

Eat here NEWS!

A couple of very exciting news items to start out with this week!

First: have you heard about the new Surf’s Up! character meal in Disneyland? There aren’t a lot of details yet, but we’ve posted a few of the offerings as posted on the @DisneylandNews twitter account.

Also: Fulton’s Crab House is hosting a Holiday Wine Dinner on December 13th. The dinner is $49.95 and begins at 7 PM. Call 407-934-2628 for reservations.

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ROUND-UP
And now, it’s on to the week’s Disney Food Round-Up! Be sure to bookmark these websites — loads of great info and content:

Mommy Musings has a fun post and photo blog about her evening with Princess Tiana and Tyra Banks. Check out the lifelike edible teacups!

Around The Mouse has posted their take on the Best and Worst Counter Service locations in Disney World.

At Gorillas Don’t Blog, Major Pepperidge has posted a couple of old-timey (circa 1959) photos of Aunt Jemima herself in front of her Disneyland Pancake House.

Main Street Gazette shows us around the Pinocchio Village Haus in Disney World. “Always let your conscience be your guide…”

Imaginerding has a recipe for Disney-influenced, Christmas-themed dog treats — can you get more seasonal than that?!

Global Disney Pinvestigation has put up a Wishes Dessert Party review…I don’t remember seeing those yummy-looking canoli at my dessert party…

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SHOUT-OUTS TO NEWSWORTHY DISNEY FOODIES
Finally — I want to give a couple of shout-outs to some Disney foodie friends of mine:

First, a HUGE congrats and shout-out to one of my favorite food blogs — Tasty Chomps — for finishing as a finalist/runner up in the Best Local Blog/Blogger category in Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets for 2009!

Also, remember when I posted an interview with Dawn Viola, a National Pie Champion, Orlando chef, and volunteer Disney sous chef? She was recently highlighted on the news in Orlando as a featured chef — there’s even a great video where she demonstrates the secrets to making her blue-ribbon-winning Apple Pie! Congrats, Dawn!

New Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends at Disneyland’s PCH Grill

By AJ Leave a Comment

Exciting news! Starting December 11th, 2009, the Aloha Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch will switch to Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey and Friends!

According to @DisneylandNews on twitter:

Beginning Dec. 11, the character breakfast at Disney’s PCH Grill will change to “Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends.” New breakfast buffet will include flatbreads from a wood burning oven & signature chilaquiles with shredded beef, salsa verde & queso fresco.

Sounds good to us!

Disney Foodie Black Friday!

By AJ 6 Comments

Thus begins our weekly “Disney gift-giving” post series! Wondering what to give your favorite Disney foodie — or wondering what to put on your own Christmas list? I’ll put up one post a week with some great ideas!

Customized Disney M&Ms: If you love M&Ms, you’re going to love these best! Personalize your M&Ms with your favorite Disney characters, or have some made up for your little princess or pirate!

Disney Funny Food Songs: A fun collection of, you guessed it, funny food songs! If you have friends with kids who listen to albums over and over and over again, this is a great choice 😉

Disney’s A Christmas Carol Collectible Gift Tower: The perfect gift for any Jim Carrey or Disney Christmas Carol fan! Cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels, nuts, and more! Bring it as a gift to your next Christmas party — chances are the host will put it out for guests and you can snag a taste…

Personalized Mickey and Minnie Placecards: These will be perfect for your Christmas or New Year’s parties!

Disney Minnie Mouse Cupcake Playset: I was sad when I realized those cupcakes were fake. They looked so good! Regardless, your little princess (or your sibling’s little princess) will LOVE this!

Send Your Suggestions for Disney Food Gifts!
If you see any fun Disney foodie gifts, let me know so that I can highlight them for other Disney Food fans! You can contact me via twitter, facebook, or email. Looking forward to your suggestions! 🙂

Please note: By making purchases via certain links, a tiny percentage of what you spend goes toward supporting the Disney Food Blog. This week, the first four links will return that benefit.

A Few Things We’re Thankful For…

By AJ 6 Comments

Everyone’s favorite snack: The Dole Whip Float

Dole Whip Floats

Hot, plastic-y cheese on french fries

Cheese Fries

A homemade ice cream sandwich from the Main Street Bakery

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich

Park Popcorn

Popcorn

Chef Mickey’s Cheesey Potatoes

Cheesey Potatoes from Chef Mickeys

Cheese Soup at Le Cellier

Le Cellier Cheese Soup

Yummy dinner at California Grill

Pork and Gratin Polenta from California Grill

And, of course, Walt Disney, his incredible vision, and those who have executed it so well

Walt and His Vision

Finally, we’re thankful for YOU, the incredible friends and readers who have made it so much fun to write the Disney Food Blog every day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Note: Obviously these are a few of our favorite foods; to see some of Walt’s favorite foods, visit the “Recent News” section of the Friends of the Walt Disney Family Museum‘s Facebook Page.

Thanks to George Taylor at Imaginerding for showing me that great link.

Tried and True (and Some Very New!) Disney Character Foods

By AJ 30 Comments

I recently realized that you’re nobody in Toon Town if you don’t have your own food product line. Used to be only Mickey had his own ice cream bars…maybe a bag of pasta or two. But these days, you’re simply not A-list Toon material if you’re not selling your personalized line at the Main Street Emporium.

Let’s take a look at a few of the brands you can now purchase — endorsed by your favorite characters, of course! Some of them are actually pretty new on the scene…

Minnie’s Bake Shop
You can tell from our tour through Minnie’s kitchen that she’s a baker; luckily, we now get a chance to sample her recipes (and NOT the diet ones!):

True, this looks a bit like a re-brand of Mickey’s old cookie company, but, alas, who are we to judge?

Minnie's Bake Shop Cookies

These, I think, are entirely new. Love the spoons attached!

Minnie's Bake Shop Mixes

And here’s a quick sampling of other Bake Shop items:

More Minnie's Bake Shop Items

Wonderland Tea
One of my favorite New York City haunts is called Alice’s Teacup, and I wonder if they’ll start carrying Wonderland’s newest tea line there! This line of teas, tea china, and tea accessories — straight from the Mad Hatter’s tea party — should please any Alice fan.

Be sure to read the Wonderland Decree on the box,

Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrarywise — what it is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would.

Alice's Teapot and Tea Display at MouseGears

Alice's Tea

Alice's Tea Accessories

And here’s a great display at the Writer’s Stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Alice's Tea Display

Disney Princess Pasta
Even the princesses have gotten into the Food Product Line groove at Disney. What little princess wouldn’t love some noodle soup or homemade mac and cheese showcasing pasta shaped like her favorite female idols?

Disney Princess Pasta

Goofy’s Candy Company
Of course, you all remember the sensationally successful Goofy’s Candy Company — well known throughout Disney to be the primary supplier of Halloween candy, gummies, and sour pucker powder!

Goofy's Candy Company

A Sampling of Goofy's Candy Company Items

Chip and Dale Snack Company
For those of you who want to preserve your diet — or at least have a semi-healthy snack — while on vacation, head straight to the Chip and Dale product line (do NOT pass go…). These are the healthiest pre-packaged snacks you’ll find on property (besides the packaged fresh fruit, of course), and the line includes dried fruit mixes, trail mix, pretzels, many different kinds of natural nuts, etc.

Chip and Dale Food Products

Mickey’s Many Product Lines
I’m sure I haven’t captured all of Mickey’s product lines here, but I’ve at least snapped photos of some of the newest items on the scene. We’re all familiar with Mickey’s “Really Swell” Coffee Brand, and, of course, Mickeyroni and Cheese! But have you sampled his Resort Delights island-inspired products, or his Chocolatears-brand gourmet chocolate bark?

Mickey's Really Swell Coffee Brand Treats

Mickey's Really Swell Flavored Coffee Collection

Mickeyroni and Cheese

Mickey's Resort Delights Taffy

Mickey's Resort Delights Punch and Iced Tea Flavors

Mickey's Resort Delights Coconut Patties

Mickey's Chocolatears Gourmet Chocolate Bark

What’s YOUR Favorite?
While you may be partial to the old school classic Mickeyroni and Cheese, I can’t wait to sample some of that gourmet chocolate bark! Would love to hear from some of you who have tried the Resort Delights line as well — any good?

Kona Island Sushi Bar Review and Photos

By AJ 15 Comments

Many thanks to Amanda Tinney, writer of the fantastic DisneyEveryDay.com, for guest blogging about this fun food spot! Can’t wait to try it!

Kona Cafe Sushi Bar

Ah YES…Joy and Rapture! Disney has added another Sushi Bar to the Walt Disney World Resort! As a Disney Veteran I am embarrassed to admit that I just recently found out about this latest addition last month and come to find out… they have been serving up Sushi for about a year now. Shameful!

Welcome Disney epicureans to the Kona Island Sushi Bar!

Wall Menu

Specs and Eats
If you’re guessing that this Nosh Spot is in the Polynesian Resort…You are correct! The Kona Island Sushi Bar is situated right next to the Kona Café on the second floor of the Polynesian. In the morning this hot spot is the Kona Coffee Bar, but it is magically transformed in the late afternoon to serve Sushi to hungry tourists and locals alike.

1coffeebar

The bar is open from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and has two seating areas, which will accommodate roughly twenty people, total. A little over half of the seating is at a bar on a glass wall that overlooks the beautiful gardens and water features that make up the entrance to the resort. The remaining seats are directly in front of the bar where the chefs prepare the sushi. But do not despair if you can’t get a seat at the bar; the full sushi menu is served at Kona Café and vice versa — the full Kona Menu is served at the Sushi Bar.

Here’s a peek at the Sushi Menu…

Kona Sushi Bar Menu

We sampled the Volcano Roll, Dragon Hand Roll, and California Luau Roll. Everything we had was delicious!

The California Roll was a nice surprise as it had pineapple in place of the standard cucumber and the citrus flavor made it taste even fresher than sushi normally tastes.

Kona Sushi Bar California Roll

The Volcano Roll, made with Spicy Tuna, Seafood Lau’ai and Tempura Crunch, filled the entire plate….

Kona Volcano Roll

I was so excited to eat the Dragon Hand Roll that I forgot to take a picture of it. I am a big fan of eel and had never eaten a hand roll before so I dug in without thinking…sorry.

But! While we were at the bar, someone ordered the Tuna Poke. When the chef placed it on the bar I snapped a picture of it. It was beautiful! It looked like three large tortelloni (a tortellini-ravioli hybrid) with diced tomato on top, but was actually the most perfect, red tuna salad served over round crisps.

Kona Sushi Bar Tuna Poke

And here’s a shot of the Shrimp Tempura Roll, which consists of Tempura Shrimp, fresh mango, and Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Sauce:

Kona Sushi Bar Shrimp Tempura Roll

…and the Kona Crab Cake Roll which is made with a Fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, avocado, and Asian tartar sauce…

Kona Sushi Bar Crab Cake Roll

Costs and Cocktails
If you think you’ll have to break the bank to eat here, think again. Prices are very reasonable considering the quality of food that you will get for your money. The chefs that we spoke with that night had worked at The California Grill at the Contemporary. Plates start at $8.99 and go up to $15.99.

I was also surprised to discover that Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale is served here! I got a chance to sample it at the 2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival and gave it a rave review!

Kona Sushi Bar Cocktails Menu

The Kona Island Sushi Bar also serves traditional sake as well…

Wine and Sake Menu at Kona Sushi Bar

If you decide to check out this eatery on your next visit make sure to look for the Hidden Mickey in the bar.

Kona Sushi Bar Hidden Mickey

As a local…I will definitely be returning for some nom nom’s at the Kona Island Sushi Bar! Amanda Tinney signing out! Dewa kore de! Bye for Now!

Wine with a Twist at The Wave

By AJ 6 Comments

When I learned last year that the Contemporary Resort’s new restaurant, The Wave, opened with one of the only (if not the only) wine programs in the country offering all screw-top wines, I couldn’t wait to explore.

The Wave

The Bar at Disney's The Wave Restaurant

Choosing The Wine for The Wave
The choice to make the screw-top wine list was instituted in part as way to avoid “cork taint,” which is a chemical compound called TCA. With it, mold, chlorine, and other organic compounds can combine to produce a musty smell and flavor to the wine, which has been a particular problem with corked wines. (One interesting twist is that, while The Wave promotes a menu and spirit based on sustainable and environmentally-friendly dining, the screw-cap might not be the best environmental choice.)

Wines at the Wave

A second twist to the wine list is that it is focused on wines from the Southern Hemisphere — bottles from Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, etc. This creates a fun contradiction to the Northern Hemisphere-focused wine list of the California Grill upstairs in the Contemporary Resort.

The Wave Wine Cellar

Another Wave Wine Fact: Keeping It Fresh
So you can bet that, as soon as I took a seat at the bar, I started asking questions! I even got a demonstration as the answer to one of my questions: How do they keep all of those wines fresh when they’re serving by the glass?

The bartender was willing to share the secret with me: vacuum-sealing! While this isn’t a new technology to keep wines fresh, it was new to me, and I was duly impressed.

Wave Wine Stoppers

Simply put in this little rubber cork, then suck out the air with the vacuum pump. Brilliant. The best part is, you can snag a wine vacuum sealer for yourself from shops like sharper image.

Vacuum Sealing Wine at the Wave

Relaxing at The Wave
I’ll be putting up my full review of The Wave soon, but I highly recommend heading over to the restaurant’s lounge and sampling some Southern Hemisphere favorites that you haven’t tried before. The cool, comfortable atmosphere and knowledgeable cast members make it a fun spot to unwind after a long day in the parks.

FYI, if you need a suggestion, John Blazon, master sommelier and manager of wine sales and standards for Disney, has said that the Veramonte Reserva Chardonnay from Casablanca Valley, Chile, is a top seller.

Disney Food Round-Up: November 22, 2009

By AJ Leave a Comment

Eat Here

Here’s our last Disney Food Round-Up before the USA Thanksgiving holiday, so I thought we’d start with a couple of Thanksgiving links; after that, we’ve got your regular weekly round-up links — great sites, all!

Thanksgiving Posts of the Week
First of all, be sure to visit the Disney Food Blog‘s extra special “Thanksgiving Disney Food Round-Up,” where I’ve gathered a bunch of links that pertain to Thanksgiving 2009 at Disney parks, including how to survive Thanksgiving week at Disneyland, the poll results for best Thanksgiving dinner restaurant in Disney World, and more.

Also, be sure to visit the Orlando Sentinel’s Daily Disney post about how Disney chefs lightened up Thanksgiving recipes.

Weekly Round-Up
Scroll down on this Disney Parks Blog post to read about awards received by Disneyland’s Napa Rose restaurant and Executive Chef, Andrew Sutton.

Speaking of Disneyland, the OC Register reports on a brand new bratwurst and baked potatoes counter service location, Troubadour Tavern, in Fantasyland.

The Disney Chick tempts us with another great recipe, this time for Sesame Chicken at Nine Dragons Restaurant.

Disney History has posted about an interesting vintage Australian Disney Cocoa Tin auction happening on ebay. I had no idea there were vintage Australian Disney Cocoa Tins.

Main Street Gazette is back from his vacation in Disney World and has reviewed Kouzzina for us! Opa!

Check out Touring Plans if you’re wondering about food for teens in Disney.

Scott Joseph Orlando reports that Victoria and Albert’s has earned the AAA 5-diamond award for its 10th consecutive year.

Stuff From the Park shares a couple of vintage 1960’s menus from Disneyland — Hills Brother’s Coffee House and Coffee Garden and Plaza Terrace.

Review: Grand Floridian Cafe

By AJ 15 Comments

Pinvestigator Cody, of the Global Disney Pinvestigation Blog, is back with another round of comments and photos about a recent meal. This time, Cody and his family celebrated his birthday at the Grand Floridian Cafe, one of the lesser known spots at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Thanks for the guest review, Cody!

The Grand Floridian Cafe (GFC) is tucked away in the back of the resort on the bottom floor of the Grand Floridian. I personally had not heard of it until I was searching for restaurants for my “day after” my birthday celebration.

I was looking for somewhere with steak (preferably filet) that I could book on short notice, and I found GFC on the internet. I searched the menu, saw the New York Steak listed, and thought something new and different would be good for my birthday.

Atmosphere
Our reservation was at 5:30, and while we arrived around 5:15, we weren’t seated until 5:30. We were escorted through the whole restaurant to our table in the very back. The restaurant has a nice theme that holds true throughout the whole area; it’s a “Florida Room,” with floral wallpaper and homey/country items throughout.

Grand Floridian Cafe Decor

Grand Floridian Cafe Atmosphere

Grand Floridian Cafe Decor

Eats
We sat down, and our waiter took our drink order and brought over some bread. The bread was only OK; it was multigrain raisin bread and sourdough, and it was served with Lemon Salted Butter.

Multigrain Raisin and Sourdough Bread

My mom and I both ordered the New York Strip, and my dad ordered the Grand Floridian Burger. The meals came with salad or soup, and we all ordered the Caesar Salad. My personal opinion is that the salad was one of the best things all night, second to the birthday cupcake (which we will talk about later).

Caesar Salad

The waiter came quickly, cleared our plates, and then moments later brought our dinner. My mom and I, being picky eaters, ordered mashed potatoes instead of the steamed vegetables, but the dishes came to the table with both vegetables and potatoes.

The New York Strip was kind of “blah” and had little flavor, though it was cooked properly. We also realized that the potatoes weren’t normal mashed potatoes; there was something else in them besides the mashed skins.

New York Strip Steak

My Dad enjoyed his burger, which had lobster and asparagus added under a hollandaise sauce.

Grand Floridian Cafe Burger

After the meal, and although we’d decided against ordering dessert, our server came back with two giant cupcakes for my mom and me (we were both celebrating our birthdays at the restaurant). The cupcake was delicious and so large I couldn’t finish it all. I’m pretty sure the cupcake was the best thing all night.

Grand Floridian Cafe Birthday Cupcake

Review
Overall, the meal was OK. Unlike my other meal reviews of Tutto Italia and ‘Ohana’s Character Breakfast, it was nothing special and kind of “blah.” It was definitely no Le Cellier!

Rating: 3 of 5
Accepts Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount Card?: Yes
Food: 2.5 of 5

Thanksgiving in Disney — The Food Round-Up

By AJ 4 Comments

Thanksgiving is one week from today, so for those of you who are thinking about heading to Disney for the big day (and saving yourself from some serious dish washing!), I’ve gathered a few Thanksgiving-y and Food-y posts and links for you!

Disney Thanksgiving News and Info Round-Up

1. Wondering where to have your Thanksgiving dinner at Disney? Head over to our Disney Food Blog post about the Best Restaurants for Thanksgiving in Disney World, where we post the winners of our reader poll on the topic.

2. Of course, many Disney restaurants offer special Thanksgiving meals for the holiday, and Disney Moms Panelist, Erin Foster, was kind enough to share the menus from her special holiday last year. This might give you an idea of what to expect in Disney restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner:

CaliGrillThanks (2)

CaliGrillThanksKids (2)

3. DReport’s Soft Opening blog reports that Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station, El Pirata y El Perico, and the Diamond Horseshoe will be serving during Thanksgiving week.

Specs include the Noodle Station serving American food for lunch and Asian cuisine for dinner, and the Diamond Horseshoe opening as counter service for lunch and table service for dinner. Visit DReport’s Soft Opening blog at the link above for more info.

4. Disney Parks Blog reminds us of an exciting Thanksgiving dinner event at Disneyland.

5. The Disney Blog shares specifics about Thanksgiving dinner at Orlando’s Downtown Disney. Plan for Thanksgiving at Fulton’s Crab House, Portobello, or Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe!

6. StudiosCentral.com has the latest on who’s serving special Thanksgiving menus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (I’ve heard great things about Thanksgiving at the Brown Derby, and I bet Thanksgiving dinner at “mom’s table” in 50’s Prime Time Cafe would be fun… .)

7. OC Register gives some great info on Where to Eat Thanksgiving Dinner in Disneyland.

Happy Thanksgiving in advance! If you have more Thanksgiving in Disney information, just drop me a line via twitter, facebook, or email, and I’ll add the info to this post!

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