ESPN Club Review: Preserving What We've Got | the disney food blog

ESPN Club Review: Preserving What We’ve Got

Editor’s Note: As of May 2013, hot dogs are no longer being offered and the nachos are served with BBQ Pork.

In light of the news that the Walt Disney Company has already closed or will be closing most of the existing ESPN Zone restaurants, I thought it was timely to pay homage to the ESPN Club in Walt Disney World. This place happens to be a favorite of ours here on Disney Food Blog, seeing as it’s one of the only places to get my favorite food: Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Atmosphere
Located on Disney World’s Boardwalk, the ESPN Club is more than a restaurant — it’s a sports fan’s dream come true. With televisions everywhere showcasing current ESPN sports, classic sports, and more; a live studio right in the restaurant; and a huge game arcade under the same roof, there’s really no reason to leave once you arrive! Speaking of arriving, be sure to do so EARLY on game days — this place fills up fast.

The Place Can Get Pretty Busy on Game Day

Once you enter the restaurant, you get to choose whether you’ll sit in the dining room or the bar area. How to choose? Easy: if you want the potential to watch Mike and Mike in the Morning do their ESPN show, sit in the Dining Room, which doubles as a studio. If you want to play computer games and have your own personal [Read more…]

“The Best Thing I Ever Ate in Disney!”: Appetizers & Sides

By AJ 61 Comments

We’ve just started a fun new series based on the Food Network’s (very cool) show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Due to some keen suggestions from readers, we’re splitting our series up into different sections: breakfast, appetizers & side dishes, snacks, entrees (lunch & dinner), and desserts & drinks.

Today, we’re taking a look at Appetizers and Side Dishes! I’ve done my favorite brand of informal polling (i.e. posted questions on twitter and facebook 😉 ) to find out others’ experiences of the “Best Thing They Ever Ate” as far as appetizers and side dishes at Disney.

Soups

Soups were by far the #1 mentioned appetizer/side when I reached out to facebook and twitter folks for their favorites.

Portobello Soup at Artist Point

Most beloved are the soups found at Boma in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. These vary every day, but the varieties specifically mentioned by readers as the Best Thing They Ever Ate! were: Mushroom Soup, Mulligatawny Soup, and Butternut Squash Soup. (Personally, the chicken corn chowder is my favorite!).
Of course, you can’t post a series like this without a few votes for Le Cellier Steakhouse‘s famous Cheddar Cheese Soup! This comes heartily recommended by Disney Food Blog readers — and yours truly, of course!
The Grand Floridian also racked up a couple of votes from our readers! The cashew cream soup from Victoria and Albert’s comes was noted, as was the cheesy tomato soup at the Grand Floridian Cafe (yum — doesn’t that sound good?!?).
Finally, that delicious Mushroom-Soup-That-Doesn’t-Taste-Like-Mushrooms was voted [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: June 27, 2010

By AJ Leave a Comment

The Frito Kid

It’s been another big week in Disney Food news! Here are a few of our favorite stories from the past few days:

Animal Kingdom welcomes the Taste of Africa Street Party this summer. This event is free to park guests. Click the link to learn more!
Lots of new 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival info, including: a list of 2010 International Marketplace booths, timing for many of the Food and Wine Festival events, and more! Check our “Breaking News” section of the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival info page for details
Tables in Wonderland July Events were announced, including two more dinners IN the Great Movie Ride

Also, just some quick reminders:
1. Disney Food Blog now has a Flickr Group — Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza! If you’re a flickr user, come peruse and post Disney Food pics!
2. The Disney Food Blog Foodie Fest is scheduled for October 3rd, 2010! Save the date, and sign up for The Disney Food Blog newsletter for all the latest updates on this and other Disney Food Blog events.

Now, on to the round-up!

Kevin Kidney, whose blog is one of the most interesting things in the Disney space, has sent me into Disney Food heaven with this post on the Frito Kid. You MUST (must, must, must) click this link of Jim Campbell’s Frito Kid “interactive experience.” Just drop the coin in the slot to sample a taste of Disney history. (Click here to read the history of the Frito Kid. To see more of Jim Campbell’s work, click here.)

Cookie Madness (hands-down one of my favorite baking blogs of all time) has put together a new recipe for Minnie’s Bakeshop Inspired cookies! Yum!

The Disney Blog has details on Adult Cooking Classes in Disney World’s Downtown Disney on July 10th, 2010! If you go, send pictures! 🙂

Party Through the Parks has taken Drinking Around the World to a new level.

Main Street Gazette Heads to two rarely-open Magic Kingdom counter-service spots!

Scott Joseph Orlando shares a rumor that the Empress Room might make a reappearance — for one night — this Fall.

50's Prime Time Cafe Malted Milkshake

Touring Plans had a foodie kind of week on their blog! Two of my favorite bloggers showcased favorite treats in Disney World and a meal at the 50’s Prime Time Cafe!

The English Disney Blog reviews dinner at the California Grill.

Chip and Co. posted a video about the central Disneyland Resort bakery and the work they do throughout the resort.

WDW Public Affairs released info about a Disney World-sponsored Chef’s Gala raises $170,000 for a local United Way Chapter. Thanks to StitchKingdom.com for the tip.

The Disney Website has a couple of fun interactive games for kids that will help them learn about food groups and how to choose healthy foods. I liked Mickey’s Mess Hall and Lilo’s Luau — just watch the animation and click to train for and play the games.

Tables in Wonderland July Events: Great Movie Ride, Food and Wine Festival, and More

By AJ 9 Comments

Tables in Wonderland events for July are available!! Be sure to sign up fast, as these are SURE to go quickly! With a sneak peek into the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival and two Great Movie Ride dinners, these will be the hot tickets for July! Good luck!

Sneak Preview: Epcot® International Food and Wine Festival, Celebrating 15 Years of Delicious Discoveries

Where: Epcot® – Wonders Retreat, located on the 2nd floor The Wonders of Life Pavilion
When: Thursday, July 8, 2010; 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Price: $95.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity is included.

With the 15th annual Epcot® International Food and Wine Festival just around the corner, we would like to invite Tables in Wonderland members only to a “sneak preview” of this year’s Festival!

Be the first to sample the food and hear speakers talk about what new and exciting things we have in store for you this year! Learn what new marketplace kiosks will be added this year, as well as new special events. You will find out all of the information before it goes live on the website, and before reservations open to begin booking the events. Be the first, and be “in the know” as we celebrate 15 Years of Delicious Discoveries!

To keep up with all the current news and information about the 15th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, be sure to check out our 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival page! Check out the info in red for new marketplaces, new events, and other breaking info!

Click on Link for Larger Image and Full Menu:

The Wave . . . of American Flavors Discovery Dinner
When: Thursday, July 15, 2010; 6:30 p.m. Reception 7 p.m. Dinner
Where: The Wave . . . of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Please meet at restaurant’s main podium
Price: $92 per person, includes tax and gratuity
Dress is Casual Evening Attire

Brooks Tropicals has been growing tropical fruits and vegetables in Florida and the Caribbean since the 1920s. Brooks sells more than 28 different tropical fruits and vegetables; its specialties are SlimCado avocados, Caribbean Red papayas and Florida starfruit. Representing Brooks Tropicals at this event will be Mary Ostlund, director of marketing

Hispanics call Caribbean Red papayas by the nickname “fruta bomba,” literally “bomb fruit.” One look at the three-to-five-pound fruit will tell you why. Consumers sometimes wonder whether the Caribbean Red is genetically modified, which it is not. It is naturally large and naturally good for you.

The SlimCado has a great avocado taste; it’s a much lighter-tasting avocado. It should be, with less than half the calories and a third less fat than the Hass avocado. And it’s so much bigger! SlimCado avocados can be three to five times larger than a Hass avocado.

Last but not least, the last tropical fruit star of the menu for this event is a star in itself – the starfruit. Brooks Tropicals was a U.S. pioneer for this Asian treat. Starfruit grow under the canopy of the rainforests in Southeast Asia. In Florida, Brooks grows them in the sandy soils of Pine Island on the west coast of Florida.

Click Photo to Enlarge and See Full Menu:

Special Event The Great Movie Ride Dinner
Where: Disney’s Hollywood Studios™
When: Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17, 2010; 7:30 – 10 p.m.
Price: $155.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity is included.

Arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and walk through the courtyard of the Majestic Graumann’s Chinese Theatre. Then you will be invited to come inside The Great Movie Ride after the attraction is closed with exclusive backstage VIP access!

We’ve cleared the track for you to walk through and dine inside the attraction where you will experience some of the most classic scenes in motion picture history. Sets from Busby Berkeley musicals, crime dramas, old-fashioned Westerns, and more!

We were lucky enough to post some fantastic photos from a friend’s special event dinner in the Great Movie Ride! While the Tables in Wonderland event won’t be this fancy, you can still get the idea! Click here to see photos from a special event dinner in the Great Movie Ride!

Click to Enlarge and See Full Menu:

Guest Review: World of Color Dining Package at Ariel’s Grotto

By AJ 14 Comments

Here’s how lucky I am:
1.) I was traversing facebook the other day and randomly found Heather Sievers, who just happens to be a Disney food expert;
2.) Heather and her family also just happened to have a reservation for the World of Color prix fixe dinner at Ariel’s Grotto a couple of days later; and
3.) Heather generously put together this awesome blog about her experience.
Lucky, right? I know. Seriously, I should play the lottery.
(By the way, Heather is the brilliant inventor of Time Out Spots. Don’t know what they are? Check ’em out! Personally, I like the t-shirts.)

July 18, 2010: Born and raised in Orange County, California, I’ve been lucky enough to have had regular visits to Disneyland since my first time on my 5th birthday. Over 15 years ago, my boyfriend (now husband) bought me my first annual pass for Christmas. We’ve renewed over & over and two kids later, our family has never skipped a year.

This means we’ve been closely watching the construction of World of Color since the Paradise Pier Lagoon was emptied nearly a year and a half ago. I knew I wanted to see the show as soon as possible, but I also knew that it would be nearly impossible to get near it…. Fans of all food Disney, I knew they had to have some dinners lined up that would include reserved seating for the show. So what did I do? I called Disney Dining every single day for about 6 weeks straight to ask about it. I know a bit extreme, but guess what? I got my reservation the DAY they started taking them.

Genie at World of Color

Specs
We all know that the show opened on June 11, 2010, but we had company coming the following week that wanted to join us, so I waited out one week and made the reservation for Friday, June 18th. (I’m sure you are thinking, “get to the food part, get to the food part;” I promise I am almost there.) My options for in-restaurant dining were [Read more…]

Snack Series: Churros!

By AJ 25 Comments

Churros are quickly joining popcorn, Mickey Premium Bars, Dole Whip Floats, and Mickey Pretzels as one of the go-to snacks in Walt Disney World and Disneyland!

Churro Stand in the Disneyland Town Square

These long, doughnut-y sticks dipped in cinnamon-sugar are a delicious, light snack for any time of day. I got mine while I was waiting for the next show with Mr. Lincoln!

Churro Stand Pricing

Churro Making

Standard Churro in the Parks

One little piece of info I concluded during my marathon Disney-World-to-Disneyland-in-two-weeks trip is that churros have a much bigger presence in Disneyland than in Disney World! While you can find them in the World, churro stands in Disneyland feel more prevalent and are intricately themed based on the land where they’re located. Here’s a [Read more…]

Latest News: Epcot Food and Wine Festival Info, Taste of Africa, and a New Cookbook

By AJ 8 Comments

Whew! There’s been a multitude of news items that have popped up in the Disney Food world, so I decided to devote a post to all of them this morning:

Bangkok Marketplace Booth

2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booths

The Food and Wine Festival CMS website is now showing the 27 Epcot Food and Wine Festival International Marketplace Booths slated for the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival. As we know, these include new additions South Korea and Belgium, and returning booth Singapore. It also includes another new addition, Charcuterie and Cheese (perhaps replacing The Mouse Catch booth)!

Check out the 2009 Food and Wine Festival Booth menus and photos here for inspiration about what might be offered this year!

Food and Wine Festival Event General Info … and Cirque du Soleil News?

The same website also offers information on general timing for each of the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival seminars, demonstrations, and signature special events. While specific details (e.g. which Chefs will present on which days) have not yet been announced, this information can help with basic trip planning around the Festival:

Descriptions and Timing for Free and Low-Cost 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Demonstrations and Seminars
Descriptions and Timing for 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Special and Signature Events

Also exciting, it looks like Cirque du Soleil will be returning to the Food and Wine Festival’s Party for the Senses this year.

As always, stay tuned to the master 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Page, where we’ll link out to all of the latest news, details, and information.

Dawa Bar in Harambe Village

Taste of Africa Street Party News

A new culinary and cultural experience is coming to Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom this summer. The Taste of Africa street party will take place every evening from July 9th through July 24th in Harambe Village in Animal Kingdom’s Africa.

The party will begin right after Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade and will continue through closing time (even during Extra Magic Hours). Included will be food and beverage tastings, authentic African entertainment, unique merchandise, and more.

New Disney Cookbook on the Horizon

Pam Brandon, Disney’s food writer extraordinaire, will be releasing a new official Disney cookbook this Fall. Currently titled Treasures from the Vault & Delicious New Favorites, I’m eager to see what dishes made the cut! If you’re wondering about the other cookbooks available, check our our Disney Cookbooks post! (Thanks to Stitch Kingdom for the tip!)

Remember, because we’re reporting this news so far ahead of time, details are always subject to change.

Now, in addition to all of that awesomeness, stay tuned tomorrow for an exclusive guest review of the Ariel’s Grotto World of Color Prix Fixe menu!

Cirque du Soleil Returning to 2010 Party for the Senses?

By AJ 2 Comments

It looks like acrobatic group Cirque du Soleil will be returning to Disney World’s 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Party for the Senses events!

Cirque du Soleil La Nouba

While the troupe was one of the highlights of parties in the past, they were noticeably absent from 2009 parties. Now, Disney’s dedicated Food and Wine Festival website is claiming that the performers will return to the event once more!

This is great news for those spending $135 on top of Epcot’s admission price for entry into this extravagant evening of culinary adventures and outstanding entertainment.

As always, we’ll post more details as we have them. In the meantime, check out all of our information on the 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Details are subject to change.

Taste of Africa Street Party

By AJ 4 Comments

Disney Food Blog newsletter subscribers heard this rumor last week, and the Taste of Africa is even more official now. According to wdwmagic.com, the event will take place in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

This grand experience of the tastes and cultures of Africa will be officially called ‘The Taste of Africa Street Party.’ It will run from July 9 through July 24, 2010, and will take place nightly in Harambe Village in the Animal Kingdom. Beginning right after the daily Jammin’ Jungle Parade, the event will run through park close each night. On Extra Magic Hour evenings, the event will run through Extra Magic Hours.

Offerings at the Taste of Africa Street Party will include:

Food and Beverage offerings from outdoor vendors
Beer and Wine tastings at Tamu Tamu
A music/dance party with Harambe’s DJ Khalifa and performances from musical group, Wasslou
Unique merchandise
Animal Education experiences

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Review

By AJ 24 Comments

Today, we’re heading to one of my favorite quick-service spots in Disney World — Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. Tucked in between Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Cinderella Castle, Cosmic Ray’s has one of the biggest, most diverse menus of all Disney World quick-service locations.

Atmosphere
Cosmic Ray’s is a giant, bright, semi-circular room situated around three food ordering “bays.” With each bay selling different types of food, be sure to check out the menus for all three before choosing your bay!

Bays at Cosmic Ray's

The theme is vintage space-age Tomorrowland, with lots of aquas and purples, trapezoids, and triangular furniture. There’s brushed chrome everywhere and signage in the same types of fonts you’d expect to find in early Space Mountain queue lines. Overall, if you loved the Jetsons and find the metal palm trees in Tomorrowland to be just about the coolest foliage ever — Cosmic Ray’s general decor will be ideal for you (and me).

Outdoor Seating

Pragmatically, what you need to know is [Read more…]

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