As I write this blog post, over 450 votes have been cast in the Walt Disney World Bakery Throw Down, and the runaway winner is…
Congratulations to the French Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot on [Read more…]
food IS a theme park
By AJ 22 Comments
As I write this blog post, over 450 votes have been cast in the Walt Disney World Bakery Throw Down, and the runaway winner is…
Congratulations to the French Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot on [Read more…]
By AJ 20 Comments
Welcome to the final post in our Walt Disney World Bakery Throw Down challenge! We’ve showcased four bakeries since mid-December, and today we proudly present Epcot’s Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe!
Atmosphere
Kringla Bakeri is located in the Norway pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase. Walk through the door and you’ll find yourself in a quaint, Scandinavian kitchen — well, [Read more…]
By AJ 15 Comments
Truly one of my favorite grab-and-go spots in Disney World, Starring Rolls is tiny, busy, and has some of the most delicious items I’ve ever tried, including the coveted Butterfinger Cupcake! While not technically a bakery, the shop rivals any of the other contestants with its rows of fresh and unique pastries and baked goods.
Atmosphere
Located on the corner of Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards, tucked back from the street, the Starring Rolls Bakery greets you with a bustling outdoor seating area.
Find your way inside the small bakery and, well, by this time I’m usually already in a queue line! Grab a plate and a tray right inside the door and take your time looking at the baked goods as you make your way to the registers.
The “theme” in the bakery is pretty thin, but the art deco design and flour bags on the baker’s rack would indicate that we’re somewhere in the 20’s, 30’s, and early 40’s — Hollywood’s heyday.
Once you’ve gathered your sweets, you’ll see across from the two main registers a menu with drinks, including coffee drinks and coffee syrups, liqueurs, and wines. Yep — they have some fancy bakeries here in Hollywood!
It’s in this area that you can also order sandwiches, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves…
Eats
You’ll find delectable baked goods, bagels, huge sandwiches, fudge, and more in this unassuming little bakery, and I suggest that you try a little bit of everything! It actually is quite a versatile place to find a quick bite, but if you’re going to sample those massive cupcakes, I recommend bringing a friend! Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for… [Read more…]
By AJ 8 Comments
Welcome to the third bakery in our Disney World Bakery Throw Down: The Boardwalk Bakery!
Atmosphere
Located on the Disney World Boardwalk, the Boardwalk Bakery is within walking distance of many of Disney World’s hotels and attractions. It’s a great place to take a break from a day in either Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Or just head downstairs from your hotel room at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas!
As you approach the bakery, the windows will remind you what’s available…
…and who’s responsible!
Along the windows, you’ll see several outdoor tables and chairs. Be sure to snag them quickly; this is the bakery’s only seating! Of course, you could always stroll along the boardwalk with your purchases and find seating along the way.
Head inside the double doors and you’ll be greeted by a small space bordered by baked goods and condiment counters. Look over the counter to your left, and you might see some Disney bakers making specialty items for one of the resorts, or even a wedding cake!
Eats
You’ll find options for any time of day on the Boardwalk Bakery menu, from breakfast baked goods to salads to sandwiches.
Refrigerators to your right will hold drinks, sandwiches, and salads:
The long glass display cases will be chock full of goodies and custom cakes:
And the bakers’ racks will be slowly filling up with freshly baked items:
While waiting for your order, take a peek at the wall behind those bakers’ racks to see the detailed images of baked goods painted on the tiles. As usual, Disney spares no expense when it comes to detail!
Also, take a few minutes to look beyond those counters and see some real bakers at work; this is one of the few places to see a real behind-the-scenes look at the type of baking that happens in Disney’s biggest, busiest, and most professional bakeries! I wasn’t kidding about that wedding cake I mentioned earlier — they really do make them here!
Vote For Your Favorite!
Thanks for joining us as we visited the third of the five Walt Disney World Bakeries we’re showcasing on the Throw Down! First was Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Bakery, second was Boulangerie Patisserie, and we’ll be highlighting the other two throughout the month.
You can vote for your favorite right here:
What's Your Favorite Bakery in Walt Disney World?
If you have a stand-out favorite bakery, weigh in with your comments via twitter, facebook, or email.
In January, I’ll post the results, along with any reader insights as to what makes those particular bakeries so special. If you have another bakery you like better, vote “other.” (I’d love to hear what the “others” are as well!)
By AJ 16 Comments
Welcome back to the Disney World Bakery Throw Down! Today we’re highlighting the second bakery in the Throw Down: the France pavilion’s Boulangerie Patisserie.
Atmosphere
The bakery, which specializes in breads and sweet pastries, is located toward the back of the France pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase. (Just follow your nose, and you’ll find it!) As you would expect from a World Showcase shop, it’s themed to look like a bakery native to a small French village. Welcoming window displays draw you inside, and bistro tables line the sidewalk outside.
Inside, you’re greeted by a lovely baker’s rack full of delicious-looking baked goods, baking paraphernalia, and a wide-open French cookbook, giving you the idea that the bakers are hard at work at the ovens.
Keep walking to your left, where your eyes are invited to take in rows and rows of sugary, frosted pastries and savory sandwiches and cheese. The bakery is set up with two identical showcases on either side of a long aisle. This lets twice as many people through at once, but you’ll often still encounter lines… this place is popular!
Eats
Before you take a look at any of my bakery eats photos, you must go over to Ryan Wilson’s Main Street Gazette post about the Boulangerie Patisserie. It’s headlined with one of the most tempting photos of the bakery’s goods I’ve ever seen…
Now that you’ve whet your appetite, here we go down the center aisle of the Boulangerie Patisserie! We start with a few savory items, such as those delicious cheese plates, quiche, rustic ham and cheese tartine, baguettes with jambon (ham) and fromage (cheese), and cheese-filled croissants.
From there, you hit the gorgeous pastries — cakes, pies, pain au chocolat, croissants, apple tarts, eclairs, cheesecake, napoleons, creme brulee, and more:
Once you reach the end of the showcases, you’re able to order a drink and pay for your items.
There is seating on the sidewalk outside and inside the marketplace outside of the France film:
If you can still walk with all of those baked goods in your belly, head out to the beautiful perfume shops on the other side of the pavilion, visit Belle and the Beast in Belle’s library, or head over to watch Impressions de France in the theater at back of the pavilion. Have a wonderful day in Epcot!
Vote For Your Favorite!
Thanks for joining us as we visited the second of the five Walt Disney Bakeries we’re showcasing on the Throw Down! The first bakery highlighted was the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Bakery, and we’ll be highlighting the other three throughout the month.
You can vote for your favorite right here:
What's Your Favorite Bakery in Walt Disney World?
If you have a stand-out favorite bakery, weigh in with your comments via twitter, facebook, or email.
In January, I’ll post the results, along with any reader insights as to what makes those particular bakeries so special. If you have another bakery you like better, vote “other.” (I’d love to hear what the “others” are as well!)