food IS a theme park
We popped into Epcot to see what was happening in addition to the Food and Wine Festival. We found quite a few updates around the park!
Welcome to Epcot
We’ll never tire of seeing this sight — especially on a sunny day!
Have you long loved stopping by Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion and ordering a Rice Cream, Lefse, Berry Cream Puff, or School Bread?
And if so, were you bummed out these past several months while the Bakeri was closed for refurbishment? Because even though you could purchase select offerings at the temporary Midnattsol Bakeri kiosk, it just wasn’t the same… right?
Well, be bummed no more! Because Kringla Bakeri og Kafe has reopened as of today! The refurbishment is over, and we can now see the results of the work.
Although, before we could do that, there was a Viking Guard standing by, protecting Kringla into the afternoon of today’s reopening!
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe with Viking Guard
But at last it was time for the Opening Ceremony with the Cast Members! [Read more…]
Velkommem to Midnattssol Bakeri in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion!
Midnattssol Bakeri temporary location
This little kiosk (which may look familiar to fans of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival) has some big shoes to fill. You see, it’s the spot for Norwegian snack goodies while Kringla Bakeri og Kafe is undergoing a fairly extensive refurbishment. [Read more…]
According to wdwmagic, Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion will close on February 4th to begin a refurbishment.
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe
When the refurbishment is complete this summer, guests will be able to enjoy an expanded Kringla Bakeri.
There’s no shortage of new stuff popping up in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion these days!
The main additions, of course, are the Pavilion’s new ride — Frozen Ever After — and Anna and Elsa’s new meet and greet spot, Royal Sommerhus.
These new attractions have brought about another change to the Pavilion: it now opens at 9:00 am (the majority of Epcot’s World Showcase opens at 11:00 am daily). That means the Pavilion’s Counter Service option, Kringla Bakeri og Kafe, is open for the earlier morning hours, too.
With more traffic in Norway (and we ain’t kiddin’ around — check out the lines from opening day for Frozen Ever After!), the bakery case in Kringla has seen some additions of its own. We thought we’d show you a few today.
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe
Now, there are a few more breakfast-appropriate items that are available for the earlier morning hours, like the Jarlsberg and Onion Biscuit served with bacon, and an Egg and Leek Pastry. But since we had to tackle this… [Read more…]
You know how I love finding out about new eats and treats all over Disney World and Disneyland, right?
Well, I can tell you it has been keeping me pretty busy lately! We’re talking Caramel Sticks in Disneyland’s Candy Palace, and Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese at the Beastly Kiosk in Disney’s Animal Kingdom (oh, and umm… poop candy at the new Zuri’s Sweets Shop, while we’re at it). We’ve got two new flavors of ice cream over at L’Artisan des Glaces, and… the list goes on and on!
And it’s super fun — it really is. But eating NEW things all the time means that I never have time — or stomach space — for my old favorites. Well, today I wanted to re-try two of my favorite snacks over at Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in Norway’s Epcot. After all, they’ve both gone through some changes since we last reviewed them, so they ARE technically “new” in some ways!
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe sign
So recently I stopped back in for [Read more…]
Ready to dine around Epcot? Yep, me too! Join me in welcoming guest author Anita Theiss with her review of some great Epcot eats!
My husband and I recently spent a day at Epcot celebrating our anniversary. While there, we decided to taste a little something from each of the nations represented in the World Showcase. An “Eat Around the World” challenge, so to speak. It was a lot of fun, and we really enjoyed discussing which foods we liked best and which we liked the least. We followed a few simple rules for our self-assigned challenge.
Rule One, choose one country-specific food item (no generic cookies or fries) to order from each nation and share it. (We had a slight breech of etiquette on this rule when we got to France, but more on that later.) Sharing meant that we could discuss what we thought of the item, and it kept us from eating too much.
Rule Two, go to counter service restaurants, kiosks, or food stands only. It just didn’t seem right to take up a reservation spot for just one item.
Rule Three, rate each food item on a scale of one to ten, with one being not quite so palate pleasing, and ten being the best thing to ever grace your taste buds.
Our digestive expedition started in Mexico at La Cantina de San Angel with an order of nachos. The nachos come with ground beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños, and sour cream. We ordered them with the tomatoes and jalapeños on the side -— my husband loves them, but I am not a fan.
Nachos
I enjoyed the nachos, but we both found them to be a little heavy on the cheese (if food can be too heavy with ‘plastic cheese’) and not heavy enough on the meat and beans. They had just the right amount of spice, and the chips were crisp. The portion was perfect for a meal, but these nachos are a great shareable snack as well. My husband gave them a 4, and I gave them a 6.
We moved on to Norway and stopped at the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé. There were several items on the counter that looked good, and I could not decide between the Troll Horn and the Viking Mousse. I asked the cast member behind the counter which of the two she recommended, and she suggested the Troll Horn, which is filled which cloudberry cream.
Troll Horn
The cloudberry cream was smooth and sweet, but not too sweet, and the pastry was tender but a little bland. The sugar crystals sprinkled on top added a nice sweetness and crunch, but overall the Troll Horn was just meh (how do you like that technical culinary term?). We both gave it a 4 on our grading scale — not horrible, but we won’t be rushing back to Norway to get one during our next trip.
After a ride on Maelstrom (RIP), we headed to China. We stopped at Joy of Tea to place an egg roll order. An order of egg rolls actually includes two nice-sized pork and veggie egg rolls, which was a pleasant surprise considering how very delicious they were. (My husband had already snagged his and started munching when I took the picture which is why there is only one pictured.)
Egg Roll
The egg roll wrapper was both tender and crunchy, and the filling was flavorful with seasoned pork and crisp veggies. There were packets of soy sauce (and other condiments) which just added another layer of fabulous flavor. We both gave the egg rolls an 8.5; we would definitely get them again and feel that they would be an excellent use of a snack credit if you are on the Disney Dining Plan since they are easily shared.
We moved on from China to Germany for a stop at Sommerfest. To be honest, I had my heart set on wrapping my lips around a Nudel Gratin for days, but I was starting to get full and knew that such a dish would be both rich and heavy. So, I passed on the Nudel Gratin (which I now regret — I really should have persevered) while my husband ordered a bratwurst. He loves a brat, and this one did not disappoint.
Bratwurst
Bratwurst Cross Section with Mustard
The bratwurst comes on a very large crusty bun topped with loads of sauerkraut. He said the sauerkraut was alright and the bratwurst itself was delicious, but he felt that there was just too much bread. The bun was quite large and had a pretty tough and crusty consistency. He still enjoyed it and gave it a score of 6.
After a quick shopping break in Germany, we headed to Italy, which had me a little worried because there is no counter service restaurant. But as we were walking into Italy, I spotted Gelati — a nice little gelato stand, so I stopped for a cup of chocolate gelato.
Gelato
It was smooth, thick, creamy, quite tasty, and reminded me of a cold version of hot chocolate. It would definitely hit the spot on a hot summer day in Florida. My husband had a taste or two of it, but he is not much of a chocolate fan and didn’t like it as much as regular ice cream. I, on the other hand, much prefer the thicker consistency of gelato to its thinner American counterpart and gave it a 7.
After Italy, it was time for a return to our homeland of America. Now during our last trip to Disney a few months ago, I fell in love with the [Read more…]
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…]
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