Epcot | the disney food blog

Best Disney World Restaurants When You Don’t Have A Reservation!

It’s happened to all of us — you need some eats and have no advanced dining reservation (ADR) for a meal at Disney World. No matter if it’s on purpose or by accident, sometimes those nights you have to “wing it” can end in a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter from the Hess Station if you’re not prepared (speaking from experience!). DisneyFoodBlog readers have pulled together their suggestions for the best Disney World restaurants they count on when they’re starving and minus a reservation (thanks again for everyone who contributed)! Quick reminder, though, when Disney World’s busy, you’re probably going to have a wait everywhere. These might get you in a little quicker…

Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco, Epcot’s World Showcase
Coming in strong at the top is Restaurant Marrakesh, serving authentic African Mediterranean dishes in a beautiful setting. Wind through Morocco’s medina to the back of the pavilion to find the small door of the restaurant. The King of Morocco sent his own artisans and tile-workers to create the Morocco pavilion, and Marrakesh’s decor is stunning. (Even if you’re not dining there, head in to take a picture or two!)

Marrakesh Dining Room

Marrakesh Decor

The Dinner Menu at Marrakesh includes plenty of couscous, the National dish of Morocco, along with chicken, mussels, and other authentic cuisine.

Atlantic Salmon

Sampler Platter

For more food photos, just visit the umbrella’d podium at the front of the Morocco pavilion; they’ve set up a cast member with a large photo album of food pictures of the dishes at Restaurant Marrakesh in hopes of driving more traffic to the establishment.

Bonus: There’s some great entertainment — belly dancers! — at Restaurant Marrakesh!

Biergarten, Germany Pavilion, Epcot’s World Showcase
Biergarten in Epcot’s Germany was a shock to me when it came in at the number two spot for places to go without an ADR (good to know that I can head over there anytime!)! Every review I’ve seen of Biergarten has been positive, and with family-style seating (meaning you’ll probably be seated at a long table with one or two other parties) and some fantastic entertainment, the restaurant offers great opportunity for fun.

Celebrating With Steins!

Christmas Entertainment

Dancing the Night Away

Riiiiiiiicolaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Not sure the menu will agree with you? Biergarten is a buffet, which means there’s something for everyone! Lots of spaetzel, wurst, pretzel, and sauerkraut, but there’s mac n cheese, too, just in case!

Famous Pretzel Bread Rolls

Wurst and More

Carving Board

Maya Grill, Coronado Springs Resort
Maya Grill came in a distant third in the poll, but it was mentioned several times and deserved a spot in the blog. This restaurant is located in Coronado Springs Resort and serves dishes representative of the resort’s southwestern USA and northern Mexico theme.

Maya Grill

As a general rule, restaurants at Disney’s moderate-level and Disney Vacation Club resorts don’t fill up as fast as the theme park and regular resort restaurants, so these are good spots to stop for an unplanned meal.

Other Suggestions
While these three were the most-suggested, there were several others mentioned that you should keep in the back of your mind as “just-in-case” locations. Thanks again to everyone who contributed ideas!:

Captain’s Grille, Yacht Club Resort
Olivia’s, Old Key West Resort
Rainforest Cafe, Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort
San Angel Inn, Epcot’s World Showcase, Mexico
Yak and Yeti, Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Turf Club, Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Mama Melrose, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park
Nine Dragons, Epcot’s World Showcase, China
Trails End, Fort Wilderness Resort
Grand Floridian Cafe, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
ESPN Zone, Disney’s Boardwalk
Big River Grille and Brewing Works, Disney’s Boardwalk
Fulton’s Crab House, Downtown Disney
Raglan Road, Downtown Disney
The Plaza Restaurant, Magic Kingdom Theme Park

Let me know your thoughts (and YOUR top spots for grabbing an unplanned meal!) via facebook, twitter, or email!

Check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” in our series!

Disney Food Weekly Round-Up: September 6th

By AJ Leave a Comment

Animal Kingdom eat here

It’s so much fun to see all the food posts each week. There are some great photos this week, too!

Also, just a reminder that the Lucky Fortune Cookery opened in Disney’s California Adventure on the 4th! Head over and check it out — there have been some cool menu changes!

Now, on to the Round-Up!

LoadedCouchPotatoes review La Cava del Tequila, complete with amazing photos!

Main Street Gazette walks us through his re-creation of 50’s Prime Time Cafe meatloaf! Again, lots of photos for you visual learners!

Disney and More guides us through the re-imagineering of the Theme Building Encounter Restaurant at Los Angeles airport. This is some concept art you’ll want to see. Absolutely incredible stuff.

Progress City USA remembers the Melvin the Moose Breakfast Show from Fort Wilderness.

Home by the Sea reviews Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort. Some really beautiful food shots here!

TouringPlans takes an end-of-summer look at the two “lounges” of the Polynesian Resort Tambu Lounge and Barefoot Pool Bar. Nothing like summer by the sea!

Orlando Sentinel reminds us that there will be trick or treating this halloween — for free! — at Disney World’s Downtown Disney!

Have a great week and Labor Day holiday everyone! Enjoy these amazing blogs, and be sure to let me know when you come across a good Disney food post this week!

Epcot’s La Cava del Tequila

By AJ 20 Comments

Tequila Variations ©Disney

It’s finally open! I’m so thrilled that the Cava is ready to serve (and even more thrilled that I get to share with you all the info about my tequila tasting at the Food and Wine Festival later this Fall!). This will be a welcome addition to the beautiful Mexico pavilion — especially for us foodies. Be sure to pick up your sombrero on the way out.

To peruse the Epcot Tequila bar menu, click on the link!

Here’s Disney’s official press release about La Cava del Tequila in Epcot’s Mexico. Enjoy!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Tasty tequilas and mouthwatering margaritas are on tap at La Cava del Tequila, a new offering for Epcot guests to explore the heritage and tradition of tequila-making in Mexico.

Cava del Tequila munchies ©Disney

Tucked away in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot, La Cava del Tequila beckons guests with more than 70 types of authentic tequila, ranging from the simplest to the rarest of them all, aged to perfection and made from the finest distilled spirits from the agave plant. Tequilas range in price from $8 to $50 for a specialty tequila.

Amid warm décor, art work and original artifacts all celebrating the Mexican heritage, a “Tequila Ambassador” is on hand to educate Walt Disney World guests on the history of tequila-making.

Also on the drink menu: Exotic and uniquely blended margaritas, introducing a variety of flavored salts, spices and tropical fresh fruits masterfully prepared by experienced mixologists.

Drinks de Tequila ©Disney

A variety of quick tastes, tapas style, will be available, including freshly made guacamole and ceviche as well as mahi mahi tostadas with diced mango and avocado and blue crab tostados with chipotle mayo and Valentina sauce.

The 30-seat La Cava del Tequila is open from noon until Epcot park closing time. It is connected to the famous San Angel Inn as part of the Mexico pavilion, a popular stop for Walt Disney World guests.

Recipe: Mango Mousse from Epcot Food and Wine Festival

By AJ 3 Comments

Since the 2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival is less than 30 days away, I thought it’d be fun to look at a recipe from last year’s festival!

mango-mousse

This Mango Mousse is from the India kiosk on the World Showcase promenade! It’s not on this year’s Food and Wine Festival Menu, but it still looks pretty tasty to me! Especially for these last few days of summer… 🙂

Mango Mousse, India, 2008 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup vanilla pudding
1 cup mango puree
¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method of Preparation:
1. Peel mangos and puree them.
2. In another bowl, whip up heavy cream until firm.
3. Add vanilla pudding, puree, sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice. Mix with spatula.
4. Pour into cups.
5. Garnish with a little mango puree.
6. Chill.

I’d like to do a few more of these Food and Wine Festival recipes before this year’s event begins. If you have photos or recipes of Festival food that you’re willing to share, drop me a line via facebook, twitter, or email. Thanks!

Photo Credit: Dragonfiregrill
Recipe Credit: AllEars

2009 Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages

By AJ Leave a Comment

Candlelight Processional (copyright Disney)

Please Note: According to MousePlanet, Disneyland’s Candlelight Spectacular will be a hard ticket event for D23 Charter Members only, with an additional price tag of $275. The following information is rumored for Disney World ONLY.

Stitch Kingdom is reporting that this year’s Candlelight Processional Dinner Package at Disney World includes access to a reserved area to watch Illuminations: Reflections of Earth! This added benefit might just make it that much more worth it to book a Dinner Package!

The site also lists all of the specifics regarding the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package, including costs and times for the different tiers of restaurants:
Tier I: Biergarten and Garden Grill
Tier II: Nine Dragons, Restaurant Marrakesh, Rose and Crown, and San Angel Inn
Tier III: Chefs De France, Coral Reef, Le Cellier, Teppen Edo, Tokyo Dining, Tutto Italia

Word on the street (e.g. the message boards) is that booking this year will be on the regular 90-day schedule, and that Processional Dinner Packages will not be available via the online booking system.

As of right now, the Candlelight Processional will be offered November 27 – December 30, 2009, at 5:00, 6:45, and 8:15 pm.

Updated Recipe: School Bread from Norway’s Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe

By AJ 26 Comments

Updated: May 17th, 2020

School Bread is one of my favorite eats in Disney World, and I can’t wait to share this not-too-sweet-but-completely-awesome recipe with you!!

Epcot Norway School Bread

Pastry
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 packet or 2 1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast
3 1/2 ounces sugar
2 1/2 ounces butter (melted)
1 teaspoon cardamom
2 pounds flour
1 whole egg

Method
Heat water and butter to 95 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, cardamom, yeast, water, and butter together for five minutes until dough is stiff. Form it like a ball and place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 45 minutes, or until dough has doubled in size. Roll the dough out like a sausage and cut into five ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and put them on a non-stick sheet pan and let them proof for 30 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes in 375 degree oven. Let cool or ice while warm for a thinner glaze, but let cool before adding custard.

Vanilla Custard (or substitute vanilla pudding)
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon corn starch

Method
In heavy saucepan bring milk to a boil. Set aside. In bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until the mixture doubles by volume. Add the hot milk a few drops at a time to temper the eggs. Mix well after each addition. Place in metal mixing bowl and place over double boiler. Dissolve cornstarch in a little water and add in a thin stream while stirring constantly until it thickens to proper consistency. It must not boil. Cool by placing pan in ice bath.

Icing
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk or water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces shredded coconut

Method
Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and water or milk (use small amounts until proper consistency is achieved) to make icing and place in shallow pan. Form hole in bread using finger. Dip bread in icing (hole side down) and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Using pastry bag, squeeze vanilla custard inside of hole and swirl at top for decoration.

Recipe Credit: Modified from KeyIngredient

Dessert Aux Chefs de France

By admin 3 Comments

It’s chocolate profiterole week at the food blog! My French may be abysmal, but we get to make another quick visit today to Epcot’s Les Chefs de France with guest poster and photographer extraordinaire, James Chapman, from DisneyfotoBlog.com. Thanks for sharing, James!

Chefs de France (c)FJFuchs

“Eating a pastry at the Les Chefs de France restaurant in Epcot is an experience and pleasure far beyond simply finishing the dessert at the end of a good meal. The French pâtissier has provided an exceptional dessert menu that offers items ranging from rich chocolate delicacies, to sorbet with elephant ear and fruits, to their signature crème brulée.

Garde Manger Caramelizes Creme Brulee

Both my wife and I enjoy dark chocolate, ice cream, and fruit, so we decided to order and share two different desserts, Profiterolles au Chocolat and Assiette de Sorbets du jour et son palmier. Both were excellent, especially on a warm (hot) summer day in July, and we would highly recommend both desserts with a slight emphasis on the Profiterolles au Chocolat for those who really crave a chocolate treat!

Assiette de Sorbets du jour et son palmier

Profiterolles au Chocolat

The Garde Manger shown in the photo above plated each dessert expertly, and after watching her caramelize the crème brulée, I knew that there would be many visits to Les Chefs de France in our family’s future! Bon appetit!”

Epcot’s Italy Pavilion: Tutto Italia

By admin 6 Comments

Pinvestigator Cody, who writes the Global Disney Pinvestigation blog, has graced us again with another round of incredible food photos and a great restaurant review. This time, we get insight into lunch at Tutto Italia, the restaurant that recently replaced Alfredo’s in Epcot’s Italy pavilion. Thanks again, Pinvestigator!

Epcot's Italy Pavilion

Arriving at the quaint little Italian restaurant in the back of the pavilion I was a bit nervous…for many reasons. One: I am very picky about my Italian food, because I’m not a HUGE fan of tomatoes. (I was worried, along with my mother, that there were going to be giant chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.) And two: I’ve heard mixed reviews in general of the Italy pavilion food, about both the previous and this restaurant. But I was pleasantly surprised.

We were right on time, arriving at Tutto Italia at 3:10 with a 3:15 ADR. We checked in and sat down right away. The waiting room was not full, but the seating area (dining area) was! Lunch was ending at 3:30, and dinner beginning 4:00.

Tutto Italia Dining Room

After being seated, we had to wait a bit for our waiter. While we were waiting, the host brought us a basket of bread and a plate of oil, which he poured for us right there. There were two types of white bread, several HARD breadsticks, and a curved, cracker-like bread. We enjoyed them all.

Bread and Oil

The oil was very spicy! It looked normal, so I drenched my bread in it and took a huge bite. (This was BEFORE our waiter came and took our drink order!) The oil was fine at first, then hit the back of my throat with the spiciness. It was OK, just surprising.

Tutto Italia Bread-Making Room

The waiter came to take our orders, and within about 15 minutes our food arrived. I got the Lasagna al Forno, which had meat ragu, bechamel, and parmesan. It was delicious…and BIG — about 5in by 5in square in the dish. And although I was skeptical about the sauce (as I mentioned before) the tomatoes were small, and I could hardly taste or feel them. The dish was SOOOO cheesy and surprisingly really good.

Tutto Italia Lasagne

My dad had a Bucatini Gratinati dish with Italian prosciutto, peas, and parmesan cheese. He really will eat anything, but he really liked it.

Bucatini Gratinati

But the real deal breaker on whether we would ever come back is my mother. She just got Spaghetti with Veal Meatballs and Pomodoro Sauce. It came in a BIG dish with about six, one-inch round meatballs. She liked it, and felt the same about the sauce as I did. So overall, the meal was good.

Spaghetti with Veal Meatballs

As I sat in the restaurant during lunch, I saw MANY different desserts pass by. I got the Profiteroles, which were puff pastry with vanilla gelato and hot chocolate syrup. It arrived quickly with two CMs; one gave me the dish, then the other poured the GRAVY BOAT full of chocolate syrup on the three profiteroles.

Profiteroles with Hot Chocolate Sauce

While I’m not a very adventurous eater, I definitely would go back…but Tutto Italia is NO Le Cellier!

Rating: 4 of 5
Accepts Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount Card?: yes
Food: 4 of 5

Thanks, Cody! Click here to see our review of Carnivale at Tutto Italia!

Annual Passholder Exclusive Food and Wine Festival Pin

By admin Leave a Comment

Thanks to Cody over at the Global Disney Pinvestigation blog for the news about this exclusive pin, which will be made available to Annual Passholders at the 14th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Exclusive Annual Passholder Pin for Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2009

2009 Food and Wine Festival Seminars and Demonstrations

By admin 10 Comments

These are low-cost (or FREE!) with Epcot Admission. Again, from Disneyworld.com:

Book the $8 events in advance at the Disney F&W Festival Registration Page

Authentic Taste Seminars
Each of these 30-minute seminars celebrates the origins, properties and history of some of the world’s purest ingredients. Enjoy a lively and informative presentation by subject authorities.
Friday — Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Price: Included with Epcot admission.

Authors without Borders
Listen to renowned authors from the food and wine industries speak about popular topics in these informative and enlightening 30-minute conversations.
Friday — Sunday at 12:00 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
Price: Included with Epcot admission.

[Read more…]

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