food IS a theme park
Thanks to all who have contributed their photos to the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza! Keep sending them along! This week, the Disney Food Pics of the Week are three sweet surprises!
“This is for you, sweetie!” Sigh…I think the first cinnamon roll is the best cinnamon roll… Photographer: Michelle Brownell (sent via email)
This for you, sweetie
An incredible surprise from the Disney Florist! (I want one! Now…how to get it [Read more…]
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!
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…]
It’s time for more 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival booth food pictures! As always, if you want to see full coverage of each booth, check out our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booth Pages! Click on any booth or country name for detailed information, menus, photos, and prices.
China
A perpetual favorite of mine, the China booth always offers generous portions of both food and alcohol. This year, a visit to the booth will easily get you enough food for a full meal!
The pork pot stickers are a fantastic appetizer for the barbecue chicken stick, which actually has a lot of flavor (sometimes it seems like flavor is hard to come by when it comes to chicken). The black pepper shrimp and noodles is a massive portion, and could easily be a snack for two. And while we weren’t sold on the ginger ice cream (a last minute addition to the menu!) — the flavor was a bit too strong for our palates — the portion is certainly large enough to split among the whole family.
After absolutely loving the Green Tea Plum Wine Cooler last year, we decided to try the Happy Lychee this year…and boy was it happy. The amount of vodka in this thing was atrocious! If your goal at the festival is to get tipsy as quickly as possible — head to the China booth first.
As always, service here was impeccable.
You can see more pictures, the full menu, and prices on our China Booth Page!
Pot Stickers
Ginger Ice Cream
Xinjiang Barbecue Chicken Stick
Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
happy lychee
Green Tea Plum Wine Cooler
Ireland
The Ireland booth is another one with looooooooong lines and happy customers! The Fisherman’s Pie is usually the reason behind both! While the booth is selling other items (including a Kerrygold selection of cheeses and a chocolate lava cake), it’s the Fisherman’s Pie that brought ’em in last year, and it’s the Fisherman’s Pie that’s bringing ’em in this year! Hit this booth either very early or very late. Scratch that. Forget about late. Hit it early!
You can find the full menu, prices, and more pictures on our Ireland Booth Page.
Ireland Kerrygold Cheese Selection
Lava Cake, Fisherman's Pie, and Meade
New Zealand
There are two reasons why the line at the New Zealand booth might be long this year: 1. It’s right at the entrance to the World Showcase, so it’s the first booth a lot of hungry folks will hit; and 2. The lamb slider and the scallop dishes are getting top marks from a lot of hungry folks. 😉 Check out more photos, the full menu, and pricing on our New Zealand Booth Page.
Seared Sea Scallop with Vegetable Slaw and Lemon Oil
Lamb Slider
Let us know what YOU’RE loving at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival! Until then, feel free to check out more food pictures on our booth pages!
Fisherman’s Pie and Lava Cake photo, and Lamb Slider photo from Kelly Tressler via the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza Group on flickr.
Scallop photo by Karen Westfall (who just had the most adorable little baby Westfall, ever).
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!
One of my favorite people in the whole internet, Kelly Tressler, captured her 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Party for the Senses experience for us! Sit back, relax, and get ready for a treat…
Party for the Senses
I just returned from a week-long trip to Walt Disney World (mainly for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival) where I had the pleasure of attending the first Party for the Senses of the year on October 2, 2010. This was my fourth trip to Disney World during Food & Wine, but the first time I experienced any paid events. My traveling party consisted of myself and my fiance — both of us newcomers to the Party for the Senses — and my parents, who enjoyed the Party 2 years ago.
The Party for the Senses is held between Epcot’s UK and Canada pavilions in the old Millennium Village (now called World Showplace). The Party offers [Read more…]
I recently “met” (not yet in person yet, but I hope soon!) a few Disney foodies who have sought out some great culinary experiences. I’ve begged a couple of them to put together guest posts, and the first is this fantastic review from Chelsi Murphy of the new Flying Fish Chef’s Counter at Disney World’s Boardwalk! Take it away, Chelsi!
The Flying Fish Café is connected to The Disney Boardwalk Resort. It has been consistently one of our favorite restaurants through the years. When it was announced in April that Chef Tim Keating would be offering a Chef’s Tasting Wine Dinner at the Chef’s counter, we knew that we would have to book it for our next trip out in July.
Atmosphere:
The Flying Fish Cafe is a beautiful and whimsically decorated restaurant overlooking the busy hustle and bustle of the Boardwalk. The Chef’s Counter is to your left as you walk in and gives you an up close and personal view of Chef Keating and his crew preparing the night’s menu. [Read more…]
Let’s face it. Everyone’s got a picky eater. Whether it’s your kid, your Mom, your husband, or YOU, someone in the group doesn’t eat salad, stays away from seafood, or has a thing about not eating anything that isn’t peanut butter.
The great news is, Disney parks are destinations where none of that has to matter. There are enough choices (whether they’re on the menu or not) that everyone can find something to fill their tummies.
There's More to Life Than Burgers and Fries
Here are a few tips I’ve gleaned from my personal experience and from readers about navigating the parks with a picky eater. These are highlighted (and even illustrated) with some great comments from Disney Food Blog Facebook Fans!:
Contact Disney Ahead of Time
If the situation is dire and you liken the picky eating behavior to a special dietary need, you can always call Disney ahead of time to be sure that your needs will be taken care of at any table service restaurant where you’ll be dining. Check our Special Diets at Disney resources to learn more.
From Linds P: If you have something you know they’ll like, you can email [email protected] with your pre-made reservations info. You can make sure the foods you like will be there.
Christina W. says: My best friend is a vegetarian who also needs [Read more…]
After being a burger devotee at Liberty Tree Tavern‘s lunch rush for years, I decided to change it up this week and order two of the newest items on the menu!
First up — the Freedom Pasta: chicken, sauteed with tomatoes, mushrooms, and fresh basil join fusilli pasta in a cream sauce. The verdict? Delicious. I needed to add salt (as per usual with me and cream sauces), but the chicken was crispy and not overdone, and the sauce was thick vs. watery (WHY do chefs let watery cream sauces exist? Why?).
Freedom Pasta at Liberty Tree Tavern
For dessert, I went with the brand new gluten-free dessert — Decadent Chocolate Terrine. This is like taking a slab of the richest brownie dough you can imagine out of the refrigerator and eating it raw. Some of you (like me) will [Read more…]
Epcot’s newest restaurant has an equally new — and incredible looking — menu!
Featuring classics like queso fundido and churros coupled with market-fresh entrees like the Parrillada Del Mar — Mixed grill of mahi mahi, shrimp, and scallops — and the Arrachera — a 6 oz flank steak — guests will find a new and different concept of Mexican dining than has been seen in Epcot before.
One thing I do notice about the menu is that prices are quite high as a general rule. With entrees starting at $21, you might be better off getting two appetizers if you’re budget dining.
To see the full La Hacienda de San Angel menu, click here. See La Hacienda de San Angel food photos here.
The restaurant will be open for walk-ins from September 16th through October 15th. Guests can now make La Hacienda de San Angel reservations for dates after October 15th via Disneyworld.com’s dining reservations website and 407-WDW-DINE.
For more details about La Hacienda de San Angel, see our La Hacienda de San Angel info page.
Reservations are now available for Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel restaurant in the Mexico pavilion.
The restaurant will be walk-up only through October 15th, so reservations are only available after that date.
To see more information about the restaurant, including food photos, menus, and more, see our La Hacienda de San Angel info page.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
