Food and Wine FEAST 2017 updated 9/22: more booths

pepperandchips

[melinda]
Joined
Mar 16, 2014
Well gang, try as I might, I could not stay away from you and I'm back with another dining report. :welcome: I hope to make you all very hungry! :drinking1

As usual, this report will likely span at least two trips. The first of which is already complete - R and I visited WDW over labor day weekend and of course ate a TON!

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This is your current cast of characters - I'm Melinda, your garden variety Disneyphile. R, my fiance, has grown to love Disney and tolerates my addiction to the parks fairly well. Basically anytime there is a holiday from work, I am scheming how to get down to Walt Disney World. Since both R and I had labor day off from work, I was able to convince him to go to Orlando with me. We are both in our early 30s and try to eat healthy at home so that we can indulge on vacation - and indulge we did ::yes::

We also have a trip coming up later this fall (actually we are 24 days out from that trip! woohoo!) where we will be accompanied by one of my friends. On that upcoming trip R and I will be staying in a DVC studio at the Villas at the Grand Floridian and we have lots of plans, fastpasses, and our days all planned out! :teacher:

This trip was much less planned. I was able to grab a great starwood preferred guest rate at the Dolphin somewhat last minute, and we drove down, once again departing at 2:00ish AM to avoid the traffic. We had exactly one ADR, and while I made fastpasses ahead of the trip, we ended up using exactly two of those fastpasses to ride the only two attractions we experienced the entire weekend! As they say, the food is really its own attraction.

With the preliminary introductions out of the way, let's get to the report!

Saturday, September 2

I'd originally wanted to hit the Magic Kingdom at park opening to do some things we've still not experienced, but we ended up leaving Atlanta a little later than I'd planned, and I ultimately decided it wasn't worth it to try for a couple of hours at MK. We headed straight to the Dolphin instead and wanted to check in so that we might get a room as early as possible in the day for the inevitable nap we'd need later. To my surprise, a room was immediately available, so we took our bags up to scope out the new renovated rooms. I love the new style of the rooms at the Swan and Dolphin but our room still had a faint tinge of the old musty smell that permeates many of the rooms at the Dolphin. Oh well, it was clean and we were really only there for the location! I took the below photo at 9:00 am so we must have arrived in Orlando around 8:30.

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view from our room at the Dolphin

We were starving by the time we finished up in the room, so we decided to head down to Picabu, the Dolphin's Quick Service, to find something to tide us over until the food booths opened at Epcot. I actually looked at the menus at the other Crescent Lake resorts thinking we'd try something different, but Picabu's menu sounded the best and it was certainly the most convenient, being a short elevator ride away!

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(photo borrowed from elsewhere on the web)

At the right you can see a case of grab n go chilled items and beyond that there was a hot line with sausage, bacon, quiche, scrambled eggs, and other breakfast items. We opted for the eggs any style and each got a side of breakfast meats to share.

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We both had eggs fried medium and R opted for bacon while I chose sausage. I was surprised at how good the bacon and sausage were - I would give the sausage the slight edge since it held up better (these were not made to order). The bacon was not your typical wiggly quick service bacon - you could tell it had been fried crisp but got slightly chewy after sitting on the service line. The sausage had good flavor and just the right amount of grease! Each breakfast plate was $8.75, and we also shared a $7.00 fruit salad cup. There is a 13% service charge and with that and tax, our total was $29.28. The staff was exceptionally friendly and we were happy to see that Picabu has a Coke freestyle machine with filtered water available for free, which we used often on our way to and from the park. We were pleasantly full but not stuffed and headed off to Epcot to start our Food and Wine adventure!

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This is the sign that greets you at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. Taken later in the day, as our weather that morning was a little dreary. We were grateful for the clouds as it made the day a little more comfortable.

The first item of business for me was to grab a festival tasting sampler (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/food-wine-festival-tasting-sampler/). With tax this cost $69.23 and comes with a cute Remy festival logo pin. I don't usually buy pins except with my eBay bucks, so I am not including the pin in my value assessment.

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(pin thanks to WDWNT)

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(last year's nicer pin, in my opinion)

So the tabs were worth about $8.65 each as you get 8 with the tasting sampler. You also get a lanyard to wear the credential with the tabs on it, but I kept mine in my purse the whole time as the tabs come off fairly easily. We located the sampler at the kiosk on the bridge between future world and world showcase.

To my surprise, many of the booths were open around 10:30! Maybe because it was the first Saturday of the Festival? After purchasing the sampler we decided to start tasting. First up was the beef skewer from the Patagonia booth. Served with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree, $5.75.

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We both really liked this, and I think it ended up becoming one of R's favorite dishes from the festival. The Boniato puree really did not taste sweet at all, more like traditional mashed potatoes. The chimichurri was delicious and garlicky, and the beef was fairly tender. I would definitely recommend this and get it again.

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Next up was the Almond Orchard booth, where I was itching to spend some sampler tabs and also try one of my most-desired dishes.

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There's only one way to kick off a food and wine festival in my book, and that's with an adult beverage!

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R opted for the Moët & Chandon Brut Rosé Imperial Champagne ($16.00) while I chose the Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin “Yellow Label” Brut Champagne ($13.00). Both were nice and dry choices but we both liked the Brut Rose slightly more. It had more depth of flavors and was very delicate. We'd have this several more times over the weekend and I am already looking forward to enjoying it on our next trip!

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One of the dishes I was most looking forward to trying was the Cauliflower Risotto with Pulled Chicken, Artichokes, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese and Aged Balsamic ($4.75). I was eager to try this as it sounded like something I would like to make at home in the future, and it did not disappoint! It was very rich and super tasty with lots of sharp parmesan flavor. I loved this and would definitely recommend it. It also paired very nicely with the sparkling wine and was a good value as the portion size was fairly large for the price.

Of course it had only been about two hours since breakfast, so I was getting pretty full. The weather was warming up and I had only one destination on my mind to cool off and relax....

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Passion slushes from France! We again used our tabs, cashing in two for the La Passion Martini Slush: Vodka, GreyGoose Le Citron, Cranberry and Passion Fruit Juice ($10.75). I also wanted to try the Moelleux au Fromage de Chèvre et Épinards: Warm Goat Cheese Pudding with Spinach ($4.25)

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The goat cheese pudding was very disappointing. The idea was there, but just plopping one dollop of goat cheese in the middle of the dish did not flavor the dish throughout. The remainder of the dish without the goat cheese tasted like a bland crustless quiche, which I guess is just underseasoned eggs. I wouldn't go back for this. I was, however, shocked at the lack of crowds

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In fairness, it was only 11:12 when I took the above photo but there was NO ONE in line at what is usually a very hoppin' booth. We enjoyed the tables in the shade near the wall by the canal.

The next stop for us was Brazil, a booth that always remains at the top of my list. While R got in line there, I popped next door to grab another drink

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The Chilled Coffee featuring Godiva Chocolate Liqueur from Belgium (used a tab again, but would have cost $10 out of pocket). I don't know why I was expecting a real iced coffee with a Godiva floater... after all, this was not Joffrey's. Needless to say, this was not at all what I was expecting and I was displeased with the fact that it was unceremoniously dispensed from a jug of premixed drink. It was super sweet and tasted like a YooHoo to me. I did finish it but wouldn't get this again. It was also really heavy given the building heat. If I had been in the mood for dessert this would have been perfect!

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R went for the M.I.A. Beer Company Barbosa Black Beer, Doral, FL, $4.25 at the Brazil booth. I tasted it but don't remember anything about it. I consulted R and he said that it was pretty good, not his favorite, but not bad. So I would say it wasn't memorable. If I remember it tasted like beer but with some caramel notes.

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Of course, we had to get one of my favorite returning dishes, the Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato and Onions - $5.75. At first, we were afraid we were going to have to return this and ask for a different portion as the pork belly looked like it was 100% fat. However we were surprised on digging in - there was a fair amount of meat in this (as far as pork belly goes anyway). I loved this as usual - the black beans were perfectly softened and seasoned well, the pico de gallo added a nice fresh zing, and the pork belly was rich and flavorful. So yummy!

After this point it was getting very very hot. We decided we needed to find a place to cool off and get some water, so we ducked in to the quick service restaurant in America, Liberty Inn. We each got a nice large cup of ice water and we people watched at a table in the air conditioning while we cooled down. We had planned to watch the American Adventure show but ultimately decided that we'd rather get to our nap earlier.

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On the way out, I grabbed a beer I'd earmarked - Anchor Brewing Liberty Ale, San Francisco, CA - $4.25. I liked this as it was a tasty ale with a lot of depth without being bitter or overly hoppy.

It was HOT. We headed to the Friendship Boats and discussed our plans for the balance of the afternoon. I'd somehow miraculously snagged Flight of Passage fastpasses after CONSTANTLY checking the app in the weeks prior to our trip. Aside from our nap and heading to Animal Kingdom, we had no plans, so we decided to stop off at the Boardwalk and check out a place we'd not yet visited.

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Have you been to Ample Hills Creamery yet? If the answer is no, get yourself there IMMEDIATELY on your next trip. It's so cute in there! I don't know why I didn't listen to @Vernie822 earlier. I found my ice cream soulmate here. And 5 other good options!

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Of course we did the flight. We got the following flavors:

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream - Rich Dark Chocolate Ice Cream made with 72% E. Guiffard Chocolate

Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream - Cool Peppermint Ice Cream with flakes of Dark Chocolate and House-made Peppermint Patties

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream - the creamiest Vanilla Ice Cream made with Cream Cheese and gobs of House-made St. Louis-Style Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. A staff favorite!

Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace Ice Cream - Dark Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream with Housemade Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Baked/Unbaked Ice Cream - Vanilla Ice Cream with pieces of Housemade Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brown Butter Cookie Dough

Malty Salty Pretzel Punch Ice Cream - Vanilla Malted Ice Cream with Chocolate-covered Pretzel Pieces

Holy cow all of these were amazing! I especially loved the Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace because I'm a grandma and am the hugest fan of oatmeal cookies. The cinnamon ice cream was the perfect background flavor for the cookies. My other favorite was the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Next time we decided we would get a sundae with a whole piece of ooey gooey butter cake as the base. So so yummy! Everything was good so it's hard to say we had a favorite. The baked/unbaked and dark chocolate were also standouts.

The flight was $10.11 including tax and we had no problem joining the clean plate club!

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Up Next: Pandora, Morimoto Asia, and Il Mulino
 
Yay! So excited for another of your fabulous dining reports!

There's only one way to kick off a food and wine festival in my book, and that's with an adult beverage!
It is the only way! Wine is in the festival name after all.........

One of the dishes I was most looking forward to trying was the Cauliflower Risotto with Pulled Chicken, Artichokes, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese and Aged Balsamic ($4.75). I was eager to try this as it sounded like something I would like to make at home in the future, and it did not disappoint!
I would be all over this dish too. So many of my favourite ingredients.

Passion slushes from France!
Always delicious!

Of course we did the flight. We got the following flavors:

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream - Rich Dark Chocolate Ice Cream made with 72% E. Guiffard Chocolate

Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream - Cool Peppermint Ice Cream with flakes of Dark Chocolate and House-made Peppermint Patties

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream - the creamiest Vanilla Ice Cream made with Cream Cheese and gobs of House-made St. Louis-Style Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. A staff favorite!

Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace Ice Cream - Dark Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream with Housemade Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Baked/Unbaked Ice Cream - Vanilla Ice Cream with pieces of Housemade Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brown Butter Cookie Dough

Malty Salty Pretzel Punch Ice Cream - Vanilla Malted Ice Cream with Chocolate-covered Pretzel Pieces

Holy cow all of these were amazing! I especially loved the Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace because I'm a grandma and am the hugest fan of oatmeal cookies. The cinnamon ice cream was the perfect background flavor for the cookies. My other favorite was the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Next time we decided we would get a sundae with a whole piece of ooey gooey butter cake as the base. So so yummy! Everything was good so it's hard to say we had a favorite. The baked/unbaked and dark chocolate were also standouts.
Yum, yummy and yummier! Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is my favourite. I am definitely going to have to try the ice cream flight next year....it looks amazing!

Such a great start to your report, I can't wait to read more!
 
Great start! Love reading your food reports.
Stay safe if your still there
 


Yay! So glad you're writing a report. I'll be reading every word.

PS Are you really a grandma? You're a very youthful one.
 
Whoo, I'm here! Your reviews will get me all excited for our Nov. F&W trip :banana:

I'd originally wanted to hit the Magic Kingdom at park opening to do some things we've still not experienced,
Um, I'm sorry, but with all your trips what the hell haven't you "experienced" yet :confused3 :hyper2: (those two emoji's are saying "***" to each other........)

view from our room at the Dolphin
Nice view!

Cauliflower Risotto with Pulled Chicken, Artichokes, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese and Aged Balsamic ($4.75). I was eager to try this as it sounded like something I would like to make at home in the future, and it did not disappoint!
This is on my list and looks awesome! Glad to hear it was delicious.

Passion slushes from France!
Another on my list :thumbsup2 Are they as good as the La Vie En Rose?

Have you been to Ample Hills Creamery yet? I
::yes::

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream -
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream
Those are the 2 flavors I had and I enjoyed them both; the peppermint patty one sounds like something I'd like, I don't remember seeing it when we were there. However I have to say I think I like Beaches and Cream better.............but for "plain" ice cream as opposed to sundaes Ample Hills is great, plus of course you don't need a reservation.

Can't wait to read more!!!
 


OMG YAY! F&W dining report!!! WHOOP!

I've always wanted to stay at the Dolphin because it reminds me of the Golden Girls (because, I too am a Grandma).

You are off to a great start with two delish drinks and a bunch of ice cream :)
 
Yay! So excited for another of your fabulous dining reports!

It is the only way! Wine is in the festival name after all.........

I would be all over this dish too. So many of my favourite ingredients.

Always delicious!

Yum, yummy and yummier! Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is my favourite. I am definitely going to have to try the ice cream flight next year....it looks amazing!

Such a great start to your report, I can't wait to read more!
Thank you so much, I am glad to have you along for the ride! I am definitely counting down the days until my next Ample Hills experience. It will be hard not to do the flight again - I love any chance to taste all the different options!

Great start! Love reading your food reports.
Stay safe if your still there
Either sadly or thankfully, we are safe at home in Atlanta. Irma is making her way through Georgia today but so far we have seen only downed trees and LOTS of rain. Thanks for joining in!

Joining in!! :wave2:
Welcome! So glad to have you here. Thank you for saying hi!

Yay! So glad you're writing a report. I'll be reading every word.

PS Are you really a grandma? You're a very youthful one.
LOL no I am a grandma in spirit only. My mom says I was born a little old lady and have only aged since then. So glad to have you here! Although I will spoil things for you, I didn't get to try the spicy apple margarita yet! Hopefully in October.

Um, I'm sorry, but with all your trips what the hell haven't you "experienced" yet :confused3 :hyper2: (those two emoji's are saying "***" to each other........)
I know, right?! But there are quite a few. Main Street vehicles, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and of course there are a few things I did as a child but barely recall, like Tom Sawyer Island and the Swiss Family Treehouse. That's just at MK! R hasn't seen the American Adventure show, neither of us has seen the Canada or China 360 films, Turtle Talk, Agent P adventure, the Disney/Pixar film fest, or the Circle of Life film. I've also never been on Mission Space or seen Fantasmic :headache:. So even someone who goes to Disney dozens of time still has plenty to look forward to!

Nice view!
Every room has its positive and negative attributes...

This is looking the other direction :rotfl:

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But we were close to the elevator and conveniently located above Picabu and not a long way from the boats or the pools so I am not complaining!

Another on my list :thumbsup2 Are they as good as the La Vie En Rose?
I don't think anything is as good as the La Vie En Rose - these are missing my favorite elderflower/st. germain flavor. They're also slightly more tart than the La Vie En Rose, but that didn't stop me from having several.

Those are the 2 flavors I had and I enjoyed them both; the peppermint patty one sounds like something I'd like, I don't remember seeing it when we were there. However I have to say I think I like Beaches and Cream better.............but for "plain" ice cream as opposed to sundaes Ample Hills is great, plus of course you don't need a reservation.

Can't wait to read more!!!
I don't think I could pick a favorite! I sure do love a nice hot fudge sundae. Fortunately we don't have to choose :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

And it goes without saying but of course I am so happy to have you reading along!

Following along :)
Welcome! So glad you are here!!

OMG YAY! F&W dining report!!! WHOOP!

I've always wanted to stay at the Dolphin because it reminds me of the Golden Girls (because, I too am a Grandma).

You are off to a great start with two delish drinks and a bunch of ice cream :)
Woop woop! So glad to have you here reading along. Sometimes you just need your kindred spirits to cheer you along with the food and beverage reporting :hyper: OMG I had no idea there was a Golden Girls/Disney crossover show. I found which episode it is and am going to have to locate it now. You gotta know I love GG... I aspire to be a Blanche but know I'm really a Dorothy.
 
So, Irma is presently rolling through Georgia and for that reason I am enjoying an inclement weather day away from the office. Currently watching Avatar (liking it way more after having been to Animal Kingdom's Pandora) and decided I would try to knock out another installment! Cross your fingers that the power stays on for me as we have already had some flickers, though everyone is safe and so far we are just experiencing a LOT of rain and wind with a few downed trees.

Saturday, September 2, Continued:

When we last left off, yours truly had just taken a much needed nap, drifting of to the dulcet tones of Stacey on the resort channel doing all of her must dos. Once we awoke, I was full of energy and excited to head to Animal Kingdom. As I mentioned, I had managed to grab a fastpass for Flight of Passage at about 10:00 pm on the Wednesday before we left, after many many many times stalking the MDE app. :banana:


We actually got fairly lucky with weather on this trip, but rain was predicted on Saturday afternoon and as soon as we got on an Animal Kingdom bus, it started raining. Fortunately for most of the afternoon it was just lightly raining.

Everything I'd read from folks who'd already experienced Pandora was seemingly positive, and they all said that photos don't do this land justice. They don't! But I am still going to post some.

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Walking in to the land just showcases everything Disney imagineering does best - I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder, much like experiencing Cars Land. I can't believe what they were able to accomplish as far as transporting guests to a completely alien environment.

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Of course, photos do nothing to capture the massive size and overwhelming feeling of these looming floating mountains. One of my favorite podcasts (Radio Harambe) panned the floating mountains, claiming the effect didn't come off well. I totally disagree. I think the floating mountains are incredibly majestic and surreal.

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They were having some trouble with the ride so our total time waiting in the fastpass line was about 30 minutes, plus the two pre-show rooms (and one of them seemed like it took way longer than intended) plus the ride time meant we were in Flight of Passage for about an hour.

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Still not food, but I love this photo of me and the land is so photogenic, so I wanted to post it and then I will move on, I promise! :P

We had more fastpasses at Animal Kingdom but it was still raining, so we decided to move on. R had really only made one request for this weekend, which was to visit Disney Springs and the Na Hoku shop to look at the Koa wood wedding bands. We have most of the details planned for the wedding (no, it will not be a Disney fairytale wedding, but staying true to our shared interests, we are getting married at a restaurant here in Atlanta with fabulous food). Of course I had to indulge my beloved his shopping trip, so we took care of that before looking for a snack at DS. I wasn't really hungry but didn't want to turn around after arriving and wait on another bus. (We weren't having great bus luck this day :headache:)

Since it was so nearby, the siren song of Morimoto called to us loudly, and we ducked in to Morimoto and headed up to the Forbidden Lounge as usual.

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We started with the spicy yellowtail roll ($12). As usual, the sushi here was incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared. The value on this dish probably isn't super great, but it's a nice light starter.

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It has proven impossible for us to visit Morimoto and not order the signature ribs. At $14 for three ribs, this is definitely a pricy dish, but these are just fall off the bone tender and the flavors in the glaze are the perfect mixture of sweet and savory. We actually ended up with a little bit of a bonus rib - we got like a two-fer. Anyway, they were great!

Finally our drinks arrived....

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I had the Kunsei smoked coconut - tequila, rum, almond syrup, lemon and honey syrup with coconut flakes on top ($14) This is absolutely my new favorite beverage on property. :cloud9: It has a smoky flavor like a Mezcal cocktail would have, as well as being lightly sweet and having lots of depth with the coconut and orgeat flavors in it as well. I could not get enough of this refreshing and delicious drink! Sorry about the photo quality, I only traveled with my phone this time and the lighting in this lounge is tough for photos.

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R started with the Momo MaiTai - Wicked Dolphin Dark Rum, Cruzan Light Rum, Passion Fruit, Blood Orange, orgeat, Pineapple ($14). I liked this as I am a big fan of Mai Tais in general, but R found it too sweet.

After finishing our drinks and appetizers, we each got a "to-go" beverage - I opted for another Kunsei smoked coconut while R switched to his standard bourbon and soda water. The total for this appetizer and drinks stop came to $83.59 :scared1: after our Tables in Wonderland discount (and including 18% gratuity). We took our drinks and people watched in the covered area near the bus stops while we waited out the rain to head back to our resort.

The rain eventually petered out while we were waiting for a bus back to the Dolphin, and we checked menus on our phones to decide what we wanted to eat. We decided to head up to our room to change since our shoes (if not our entire persons) were a bit soggy. On the way back out we stopped to enjoy the music and the light show on the palms on the breezeway between the Swan and Dolphin

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After throwing around the idea of heading over to Citricos, walking over to the Yachtsman, or staying closer to the resort, we decided to try somewhere we'd never been: Il Mulino.

We arrived around 9:00 and were seated immediately in a room close to the rear of the restaurant. It was quiet in that room but there were several tables so we didn't feel like we were sequestered or anything.

Our server helped us with a wine recommendation and we ordered a bottle of Super Tuscan - this one a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. This was a bold red with nice red fruit flavors and some peppery spice to the finish.

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Villa Antinori Toscana Super Tuscan Blend - $60

I neglected to get a picture of the complimentary starter until we'd already tucked in - somehow we were hungry again!

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I tried, unsuccessfully, to ignore the very fresh and warm bread. It was great dipped in the tasty eggplant! The eggplant absolutely sang with its nice tanginess.

We also ordered starters as I could not resist the meatballs that were recommended to us. Our server plated them for us before I could snap a picture of the whole dish. We were served three total meatballs.

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The cheese is grated tableside to your preference. Meatballs $12

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The serving dish - we shared the final one as these were just heavenly. Light and tasty and the gravy was scrumptious!

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We also ordered the trattoria salad. This was good but not memorable - neither of us really cares for beets but these were mild. We both needed a little something green and vegetable, so this fit the bill ($13)

For entrees, we selected two items to share. I had read many accounts of how delicious and amazing the Rigatoni con Funghi is, so that was one dish we chose:

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Pre-cheese

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Properly cheesed!

Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms, Spicy Cherry Peppers, Garlic and Truffle oil. This was the half portion, $15.00. I think this is one of the best values you can get on Disney property! We loved this dish. The umami flavors from the mushrooms and truffle oil made this dish so rich and hearty, but it wasn'tso heavy that we felt sick after enjoying it.

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We also chose the Saltimbocca, to try not to overload on carbs. This is Sautéed Veal Scaloppini with Prosciutto served with Spinach, Sage and White Wine Sauce - $34.00. This was very salty but it was extremely delicious. This tasted like bacon! It was crispy and very flavorful. We did not finish this.

If you have followed any of my previous dining reports, you probably know that my sweet R has a hollow leg for desserts. I don't share the ability to eat dessert after a large meal, so we compromised and ordered a dessert to take with us (as well as the rest of our bottle of wine)

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Tiramisu - Layered Espresso and Coffee Liqueur infused Lady Fingers coated with Marscapone Cream - $11.00

This looks messy after its transport "home" but I promise it was beautiful before we messed it up! I am a huge fan of tiramisu and this was a great one! It was light and perfect. Our total after the Tables in Wonderland discount + 18% gratuity was $149.64. We had great service so we left a little extra. I should have listened to everyone on the dining boards sooner and tried this before now! We absolutely loved our meal and plan to return when possible. The icing on the cake was the ability to take our wine and our dessert the short walk back to our room and enjoy our chocolatey treat in bed.

Up next: more food and wine booth treats!
 
Woop woop! So glad to have you here reading along. Sometimes you just need your kindred spirits to cheer you along with the food and beverage reporting :hyper: OMG I had no idea there was a Golden Girls/Disney crossover show. I found which episode it is and am going to have to locate it now. You gotta know I love GG... I aspire to be a Blanche but know I'm really a Dorothy.

You know what they say...Dorothy in the streets, Blanche in the sheets.
 
YAY!! Another Melinda report.

IHope to use your food and wine reviews in making my decisions on which booths to go to.Goat cheese dish at France booth is so intriguing, as I am a goat cheese fan. I am torn though based on your reviews and others I have seen so far. I guess I will wait and see how I feel once I get there, and wait for more reviews of various booth offerings.

We l8ve Morimoto. Those ribs look fantastic. The price has always scared me off. Maybe it shouldn't. Your Kunsei looks fantastic too. That type of drink is right up my alley. I need to try it, but the Sangria is so good.

I am so glad you liked Il Mulino! That rigatoni is so good. The saltimboca looks good too. I have always been interested in that dish. You also picked one of my all time favorite wines, Antinori Toscana. I really love that wine, and just brought it to a friend's house last weekend to eat with grilled steak. It was so yummy.

Can't wait til the next installment.
 
YAY!! Another Melinda report.
YAY! Niki is here!!!

IHope to use your food and wine reviews in making my decisions on which booths to go to.Goat cheese dish at France booth is so intriguing, as I am a goat cheese fan. I am torn though based on your reviews and others I have seen so far. I guess I will wait and see how I feel once I get there, and wait for more reviews of various booth offerings.
I would definitely say to give it a shot if you think it sounds good. Perhaps we just got a batch where they didn't season properly, or maybe they will use guest feedback to adjust throughout the festival. I did like the bits with the goat cheese but felt like I had to ration it, and R was just not a fan, so that sometimes colors my opinion. Let me know how you like it!

We l8ve Morimoto. Those ribs look fantastic. The price has always scared me off. Maybe it shouldn't. Your Kunsei looks fantastic too. That type of drink is right up my alley. I need to try it, but the Sangria is so good.
I know, and I keep saying I need to try the sangria and always get lured away by the other delicious cocktail offerings! The ribs are expensive but SO worth it. I've never had any like them!

I am so glad you liked Il Mulino! That rigatoni is so good. The saltimboca looks good too. I have always been interested in that dish. You also picked one of my all time favorite wines, Antinori Toscana. I really love that wine, and just brought it to a friend's house last weekend to eat with grilled steak. It was so yummy.

Glad to know it wasn't a foolish choice! We liked it but we are not exactly wine conoisseurs. I generally just know if I liked it or not! haha
 
I never get the luxury of time so I am more than happy to continue with updates while cooped up due to the weather!

Sunday, September 3:

This morning, we slept in a bit (what? who are we?!) and took our time getting ready to head over to Epcot. We arrived at the International Gateway around 11:00.

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We were ready to eat! I knew long lines would form at some of the more popular booths as the day wore on, so we started at Canada with an item we'd missed out on the previous day:

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A filet and the Radler.

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“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce – $8.00. I wish I had taken a photo of the inside of this steak as it was cooked absolutely perfectly (another reason I wanted to hit the booth at opening). It was so buttery and tender, a nice medium, and fairly easy to cut with the plastic butter knife provided! $8 is a lot for the food and wine festival, but compared to the size of a steak in the sit-down restaurants in Epcot I still think this is a good value. (I will keep my Nicki Minaj jokes to myself.)

R really liked the Radler, whereas I just don't see any reason to water down beer, no matter how tasty that makes it! However, I think lots of my Disfriends would love this.

Moosehead Radler: Lager infused with Grapefruit, Grape and Lemon Juices – $4.00. Everyone who likes Schofferhofer from Germany should give this a shot - it was flavorful and citrusy and very refreshing.

Next up was the Islands of the Caribbean, which has brought back our favorite item from last year's festival:

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Here we have the alluring quesito! Puff Pastry with Sweetened Cream Cheese and Guava Sauce – $3.75.
(Can you see the rose in R's hand? Yes, we had more of those. I used many tabs on the champagnes at the Almond Orchard!)

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You can see from the "interior" photo that we didn't get much cream cheese in this one. Lame. Still tasty, but taken down a notch. I will just have to give this another shot later in the festival season. Your mileage may vary and I would definitely recommend giving it a shot!

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We also got the Mojo Pork with Black Beans, Cilantro Rice, and Pickled Red Onions – $4.50. This was very tasty and a decent portion size. It's sort of a sleeper favorite for me! Filling and perfectly seasoned.

From Coastal Eats, an awesome selection:

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Lump Crab Cake with Napa Cabbage Slaw and Avocado Lemongrass Cream – $5.00. This may be the best $5.00 you can spend at Food and Wine since crab cakes are routinely at least $5 each in "the real world". This was a nice mild crab cake (which says to me that the crab was fresh) and the slaw added a nice zing and crunch. I will absolutely get this again!

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R wanted to try the Mac n Cheese from Active Eats, with Nueske’s® Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions – $4.75. This was "fine" in my book, but R really loved it and wants to get it again. I thought the flavors were good but found it very dry. I'm sure that's highly dependent on which batch you get.

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My indulgent cheesy pick was from "Flavors from Fire" booth- Smoked Corned Beef with Warm Crispy Potatoes, Pickled Onions and Blonde Ale Beer Fondue featuring BelGioioso Romano and America Grana Cheeses – $5.00. This was one occasion where I'd wished I hadn't gone to the TIW preview event. This was easily one of my favorite dishes from the preview and I was let down at the festival due to sloppy plating and poor temperature control. First of all, the corned beef was like two giant chunks instead of being properly shredded over the chips. This led to the cheese also clinging to the huge chunks of beef rather than being properly distributed. I also needed more of those perfect pickled onions. However, I used some elbow grease to rectify the situation and had no qualms finishing this dish. I will probably give it another shot ;)

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From the same booth, Chocolate Picante: Dark Chocolate Mousse with Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder and Raspberry Dust – $3.25. We both liked this, and I found that it had a nice amount of heat, unlike the milder version from the preview event. We're both looking forward to getting this again and I would recommend it if you like dark chocolate! Not so dark or so spicy as to put folks off, I would think. Very rich and yummy.

As you might be able to see, we had taken these dishes inside Innoventions. There is a nice size seating area outside the Light Lab booth where we perched to enjoy our provisions. There are tons of Light Lab reviews online, and we didn't actually go in, but we did find to our delight that we could order the beers we wanted to try without getting in the massive queue for the Light Lab "show area" (for lack of better explanation)

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I didn't take notes on the beer here, so I don't remember a whole lot except that we liked them. Blue Point Brewing Company Hoptical Illusion IPA, Patchogue, NY – $4.25

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Space Flight – $9.00

Left Hand Brewing Company Polestar Pilsner, Longmont, CO
Playalinda Brewing Company Robonaut Red Ale, Titusville, FL
Elysian Brewing Space Dust IPA, Seattle, WA

I do remember not really caring for the Pilsner, but I never really care for Pilsner, so that was no shock.

We did really appreciate the air conditioning, so we headed directly across Future World to enjoy more beers in more air conditioned comfort.

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Western Florida Flight – $9.00

JDub’s Passion Wheat, Sarasota, FL
Central 28 Trekkerbier Farmhouse Ale, DeBary, FL
Cigar City Guayabera Citra Pale Ale, Tampa, FL

We both really liked the Cigar City Citra Pale Ale, which was made citrusy only via use of citra hops, which I appreciated as sometimes flavored beers taste too artificial to me. I think I also liked the farmhouse ale, and both of us were just "meh" on the passion wheat. Beers are so individual to taste that I would definitely recommend the flights.

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Eastern Florida Flight – $9.00

M.I.A. Beer Company 305 Golden Ale, Doral, FL
Playalinda Brewing Company Blonde Ale, Titusville, FL
Florida Beer Company Passport 35 Triple Chocolate Milk Stout, Cape Canaveral, FL

We both LOVED the milk stout. It's so good on draft!

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Cheers!

This was a neat booth with some cool art and some very welcome climate control. Unlike previous years, I did not see long lines here. Maybe we just visited at opportune times? We also missed the banquette seating that was previously available in prior years so that you could take a load off your tired feet. R didn't like that the windows were "open" (uncovered, not open to the elements), and preferred the dark version of years past, while I kind of enjoyed the natural light. As an aside, R had wanted to try the burger handwich here, but they were out and never got them back in stock during our visit that day. So if you are really wanting to try the handwich, I would recommend visiting this booth early.

Since we had no food here, we were ready to move on, and I loved the sound of all the choices at the next booth so much that I had to get one of each!

India!

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Madras Red Curry with Roasted Cauliflower, Baby Carrots, Chickpeas and Basmati Rice – $5.00. We make this at home a lot so I was underwhelmed. This was very sweet. I hate to say it, but I prefer my own version.

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Korma Chicken with Cucumber Tomato Salad, Almonds, Cashews and Warm Naan Bread – $5.25. Hello heaven! Let me just get two of these and call it a meal. This was so flavorful and creamy. I loved this dish... yes, I know it is about as "safe" as you can get with Indian food but sometimes you just want a hearty comfort food and this is perfect in so many ways. The sauce was delicious on the naan! I recommend this even if you don't think you like Indian. So so good.

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Warm Indian Bread with Pickled Garlic, Mango Salsa and Coriander Pesto Dips – $4.75. If you have always heard amazing things about the Sanaa bread service and haven't been able to try it yet, here's your chance to do it on a small scale. The bread wasn't quite as fresh as at Sanaa but the dips were very good. I loved the coriander pesto dip and ate it on everything! I actually used the bread from our Korma Chicken as well, as you definitely need more bread than is provided. I would much rather go to Sanaa, but if you're short on time (aren't we all?) this is a great stopgap.

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Pistachio Cardamom Bundt Cake with Chocolate Coconut Mousse – $3.50. Neither one of us remember much about this other than it being fine. I'd skip it in the future.

We were getting pretty hot and tired and decided to make our way toward the exit. R wanted another dessert since the cardamom cake wasn't a hit, and had previously eyed the chocolate baklava at the Morocco booth:

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Chocolate Baklava: Rolled Phyllo Dough with Toasted Almonds and Dark Chocolate Sauce – $4.00. I hated this, and R has given it the resounding endorsement of "It was alright. Far from my favorite." To me, this one was entirely one-note: sweet. It seemed underbaked and flavorless to me. An embarrassment to all baklava!

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Here, I present: the festival's biggest rip off! Spicy Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomato, Onions and Tzatziki Sauce – $5.00. Yes, $5.00. And no, I did not eat any before taking the photo. That is $5.00 for TWO hummus fries. They were good but, um no. Sorry. Fool me once... (did you know you can get a FOOTLONG corn dog on the boardwalk for $5.50?) #justsaying

I had to drown my sorrows in having been ripped off....

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Yes, all the passion slushes shall be mine!

We went back to the hotel, this time without visiting Ample Hills, and walked around a it before returning to our room.

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And then it was time for a little afternoon break.

Up next: We triumphantly return to Animal Kingdom! We have an amazing meal at Jiko!
 
I'm with you. Love those hummus fries but two for $5 - that's a big ol nope.
 
That sucks that India and Morocco was such a let down. I ordered the "Sangria" once from Morocco and it was this dixie cup full of warm sweet peach wine. LOL I was sooooo mad.

The korma and naan look to die for!
 



















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Have you been to Ample Hills Creamery yet? If the answer is no, get yourself there IMMEDIATELY on your next trip. It's so cute in there! I don't know why I didn't listen to @Vernie822 earlier. I found my ice cream soulmate here. And 5 other good options!

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Of course we did the flight. We got the following flavors:

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream - Rich Dark Chocolate Ice Cream made with 72% E. Guiffard Chocolate

Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream - Cool Peppermint Ice Cream with flakes of Dark Chocolate and House-made Peppermint Patties

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream - the creamiest Vanilla Ice Cream made with Cream Cheese and gobs of House-made St. Louis-Style Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. A staff favorite!

Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace Ice Cream - Dark Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream with Housemade Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Baked/Unbaked Ice Cream - Vanilla Ice Cream with pieces of Housemade Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brown Butter Cookie Dough

Malty Salty Pretzel Punch Ice Cream - Vanilla Malted Ice Cream with Chocolate-covered Pretzel Pieces

Holy cow all of these were amazing! I especially loved the Nonna D's Oatmeal Lace because I'm a grandma and am the hugest fan of oatmeal cookies. The cinnamon ice cream was the perfect background flavor for the cookies. My other favorite was the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Next time we decided we would get a sundae with a whole piece of ooey gooey butter cake as the base. So so yummy! Everything was good so it's hard to say we had a favorite. The baked/unbaked and dark chocolate were also standouts.

The flight was $10.11 including tax and we had no problem joining the clean plate club!

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Up Next: Pandora, Morimoto Asia, and Il Mulino

This Ample Hills Creamery sounds like some place we HAVE to try on our next trip. Do you know if, instead of 6 different flavors, you can pick 2 scoops of one of the flavors, then 4 others? If so, that Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream sounds SOOO good!
 
This Ample Hills Creamery sounds like some place we HAVE to try on our next trip. Do you know if, instead of 6 different flavors, you can pick 2 scoops of one of the flavors, then 4 others? If so, that Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream sounds SOOO good!

I certainly don't see why you couldn't get double on one flavor! Although the ooey gooey butter cake is so good you may want to spring for a whole serving :cloud9:
 
I have been dreaming about ample hills ever since i heard about it. can't wait to get my hands on that ooey gooey!
 

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