**2010** Epcot Food & Wine Festival ENDED 11/14. 2011 FESTIVAL 9/30-11/13

[SweetSpot]

two words: cherry colada!

oh, my - these were our favorites, hands down! My daughter-in-law and I are going to try to duplicate the recipe.

If you do duplicate the cherry colada recipe please post it here. I was thinking of trying to make it with black cherry juice concentrate and rum but am sure I am missing a flavor somewhere. It was really good, especially because it was so hot there the afternoon I was there.

 

[pixie08]

Thanks for the observations. We love Andrea Immer Robinson! She is the best down to earth presenter of wines. Ever. We did her wine school this year and loved it. Did you happen to get the recipe for the popcorn appetizer? Would you share it if you have it? Thanks!

here you go...

 

[Inkmahm]

two words: cherry colada!

oh, my - these were our favorites, hands down! My daughter-in-law and I are going to try to duplicate the recipe.

Food-wise, we liked the scallop and the lamb slider from New Zealand, the Lobster & Scallop Fisherman's pie & the cake with Bailey's from Ireland. Also the USA's Lobster Roll and the crabcake & the taco from Mexico.

F & W was a "first" for us, so we have nothing to compare it to, but we were impressed!

While the cherry colada was excellent, I enjoyed the cranberry Cosmo at France more. It is a slushy, although not too frozen due to all the alcohol in it. This would be one of my very favorite items at Epcot if they decided to serve this all year long!

I also love the lobster and scallop pie at Ireland, the cheese plate there AND the choc lava cake. add soup from Canada and I have lunch.

 

[Inkmahm]

So who was at the PFTS tonight with me and what did you think? I thought it was pretty crowded and had too many duck and lamb dishes for my taste. I ate mostly scallops tonight and CHEESE. Loved the cheese. Desserts were great, too.

Were any of you in a red sparkly top sitting alone in the Wine view Room right up front and center for the entertainment? The woman also and a purse with a Mickey Mouse head on the flap. The same woman was at PFTS in about the same spot last year for this same relative weekend.

 

[marshwiggle]

So who was at the PFTS tonight with me and what did you think? I thought it was pretty crowded and had too many duck and lamb dishes for my taste. I ate mostly scallops tonight and CHEESE. Loved the cheese. Desserts were great, too.

I was there among the hoi polloi but didn't think the crowds were that bad - this was my first year so I have no basis for comparison. The theme seemed to be scallops and Malbec as they seemed to be almost over-represented. The longest line was to meet Robert Irvine, but his restaurant's dish was pretty meh this time (their offering the previous week was one of our favorites). The ones I liked the best were the pasta+lamb ragu, the scallop dish with the curry sauce, and the hazelnut cake from the Portland guy (I don't have the program in front of me). I thought the booze was pretty good too.

A tip for other noobs like me: get your eating and drinking in by 8:30pm - after that, all bets are off. I think that's when the band stops and the voice hints that Illuminations is starting soon. This was also when a lot of the stations ran out of food, as all the chefs drop everything and start raiding the other stations (I'm sure they were all starving). At one of the booths, a woman was telling everyone she was just covering and had no idea how the dessert was supposed to look.

 

[Krissalee]

So who was at the PFTS tonight with me and what did you think? I thought it was pretty crowded and had too many duck and lamb dishes for my taste.

I was there, too, and enjoyed myself. I was able to navigate the crowds pretty well. We were always able to grab a spot at a stand up table.

My favorite dishes were the soft shell crab sandwich, the duck breast pastrami, and the veal cheeks. I was surprised by the number of Chilean and Argentinean wineries - as marshwiggle wrote - all those Malbecs.

 

[redzinner]

10/23 Party for the Senses ... without wine view lounge

Opened the doors early about, 6:20. We arrived after the mad dash. Found a table immediately. Crowd was very manageable at the PftS ... not on the World Showcase. Another packed day at Epcot.

Savory Temptations:
18 stations

2 beef tenderloin and short rib
1 fish halibut
3 scallop
2 crab
1 quinoa cake
1 pork jellied cube
2 lamb
2 duck
1 cabrito cake (goat?)
2 veal
1 tofu

cheese table

4 dessert stations plus those darn chocolates

Many good wines, cognac, tequila, scotch, beers, tea & coffee, water.

 

[KPSmithSr]

Can someone who attended tell me if the Sweet Sunday event goes the full two hours (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)? We have the Tequila Tasting at noon and I wanted to know if I have to sneak out before it ends.

 

[Krissalee]

Can someone who attended tell me if the Sweet Sunday event goes the full two hours (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)? We have the Tequila Tasting at noon and I wanted to know if I have to sneak out before it ends.

I was at Sweet Sundays today with Gale Gand and it ran the full two hours. It was delicious! Enjoy your event.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

We just returned from a week at WDW and spent 3 days at Epcot (four people) sampling.
My votes are :
France- loved the Cosmo, the creme brulee and the short ribs!
Morocco- the kefta pita (spiced beef with a slaw)- we all were impressed and returned another day for it.
Belgium- the waffle was marvelous!
Japan-enjoyed the California roll, spicey tuna roll and tuna sensation
USA Hops and Barley- Pecan bread pudding was good and the CMs there were a hoot. The first gentleman said to me "Wait for it, wait for it..." then he called out the bread pudding order. In response all the CMs shouted together "BREAD PUDDING!!!". Lol!
South Korea- I am a kimchi fan and I'm not ashamed of it! I loved the cucumber kimchi (DH had the ribs) and the lettuce wrap. I got it the next visit also. There was quite a variation on the size depending on the lettuce leaf; mine was quite large and as I left I saw a tiny one being served.
Poland- my friends liked the pierogie and I liked my golabki, not loved it.
Mexico- very good tamal de pollo
Puerto Rico- loved the cherry colada and wished it was larger for the price. Charming cast members tried to card us (we are 52 and loved that!).
Argentina- the beef skewer was very tasty and we scraped the plate.
Greece- spanakopita was good
Ireland- enjoyed the cheese platter, no butter offered, bread passed on to DH. Loved the lobster/scallop fisherman's pie.
Spain- I got the Taste of Spain 3 times; really enjoyed but the last time the serrano ham was less than tender.
Australia- loved the barramundi and liked the lamb chop.
USA- loved the heirloom salad and DH liked the chili but we all were astounded at the small, pitiful portion.
Canada- we knew we would love the soup and the chipotle sausage was wonderful.
Charcuterie and Cheese- the plate was good, favorite was the smoked beef.
My friends enjoyed hearing about "Flutegate" and I gave them reviews I had read. We also enjoyed ourselves at our own tequila tasting at The Ditch; I didn't see the margarita flight on the menu but they have them still. We all got the gift card wristbands and it did keep things moving smoothly without having to deal with wallets,change. I did the passport deal and had fun with that.

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

Although this was our third trip to WDW during FWF this was the first year we really spent some time taking it in. In the past few years I have really taken an interest in beer and was excited to try the different offerings but was disapointed to find that most of the countries beer offerings were very predictable. For instance, Belgium which some would argue produces some of the greatest beers in the world had beers like Stella that I can find in the grocery store in Nebraska. Don't get me wrong, I really like Stella but it would have been awesome to try some of the beers I couldn't buy in the grocery store. Other than Viru, which was a really nice beer I could find most everything offered in the grocery store. Are the beers usually the same each year or do they change it up?

 

[Rhull]

They change it up somewhat, but for the most part everything is fairly common. I was very pleased with the Brewer's Collection offerings this year. These are very difficult to find in the U.S. I'm hoping that the beer selections continue to get better in the future.

 

[Skoolie]

We just returned from a week at WDW and spent 3 days at Epcot (four people) sampling.
My votes are :
France- loved the Cosmo, the creme brulee and the short ribs!
Morocco- the kefta pita (spiced beef with a slaw)- we all were impressed and returned another day for it.
Belgium- the waffle was marvelous!
Japan-enjoyed the California roll, spicey tuna roll and tuna sensation
USA Hops and Barley- Pecan bread pudding was good and the CMs there were a hoot. The first gentleman said to me "Wait for it, wait for it..." then he called out the bread pudding order. In response all the CMs shouted together "BREAD PUDDING!!!". Lol!
South Korea- I am a kimchi fan and I'm not ashamed of it! I loved the cucumber kimchi (DH had the ribs) and the lettuce wrap. I got it the next visit also. There was quite a variation on the size depending on the lettuce leaf; mine was quite large and as I left I saw a tiny one being served.
Poland- my friends liked the pierogie and I liked my golabki, not loved it.
Mexico- very good tamal de pollo
Puerto Rico- loved the cherry colada and wished it was larger for the price. Charming cast members tried to card us (we are 52 and loved that!).
Argentina- the beef skewer was very tasty and we scraped the plate.
Greece- spanakopita was good
Ireland- enjoyed the cheese platter, no butter offered, bread passed on to DH. Loved the lobster/scallop fisherman's pie.
Spain- I got the Taste of Spain 3 times; really enjoyed but the last time the serrano ham was less than tender.
Australia- loved the barramundi and liked the lamb chop.
USA- loved the heirloom salad and DH liked the chili but we all were astounded at the small, pitiful portion.
Canada- we knew we would love the soup and the chipotle sausage was wonderful.
Charcuterie and Cheese- the plate was good, favorite was the smoked beef.
My friends enjoyed hearing about "Flutegate" and I gave them reviews I had read. We also enjoyed ourselves at our own tequila tasting at The Ditch; I didn't see the margarita flight on the menu but they have them still. We all got the gift card wristbands and it did keep things moving smoothly without having to deal with wallets,change. I did the passport deal and had fun with that.

I noticed a picture of the cheese looked more like soupy fondue and wasn't happy with the look of it.

I was afraid to get the chili the last time because no one wanted to share it with me and I thought it would be too filling maybe the small portion would be perfect for me, though the price might be a tad high per portion size.

The waffle was marvelous, I wasn't interesting in buy because I thought, oh it's just a waffle, a friend made me try it and I was glad she did. Delicious.

 

[conandrob240]

Just back from a 5 day trip and had a great time. Some reviews:

3D Dessert Party- "eh". There weren't enough desserts to choose from, not enough chocolate and not enough beverage offerings. And the beverages that were there (scotch, scotch, port, scotch, scotch, champagne, scotch, scotch, deKyper's- sort of joking but there was a LOT of scotch) gave the stingiest pours ever! 1 oz pours were the norm- ridiculous at a party like this. Only about 6-8 different desserts, repeated over and over at different tables. This event needs a bit more drink variety, better pours and a full cheese table and then it may have been worth it. But what was worth it?!?! Those amazing glasses!!!! DO NOT MISS putting the special glasses they give you on and watching the fireworks. I was simply astounded, enthralled, delighted. Those glasses made me so very happy. Don't miss it!

PFTS- AWESOME!- this is our 4th one and I liked this one 2nd best. LOVED that Cirque was back- to me that makes the ticket price much easier to swallow as I am a huge Cirque fan. The acts were very good as was the music. I did not fidn it any more crowded that any other one I have ever gone to. The floor seemed more crowded because they added a lot more tables for all the people who insist on sitting down. We personally like to move around staopping at cocktail tables to sip and bite and chat and then moving on. But it is clear that that is not most people's perception of they way the event is supposed to go and Disney caved to the pressure adding more tables. To me, those tables were in the way and broke the flow of the room. I thought there was excellent variety and the desserts were great. The wines were all very similar (South American). And YES, they were all the same vineyards from the wine tastings on Fri & Sat. Some of them had a few different wines but it was the same wineries and many of the same pours. At this event, pours were generous. The lamb on Israeli couscous, the cavatelli with braised lamb, the short ribs, duck with gorgonzola grits and Robert Irvine's tenderloin with amazing mashed potatoes were our favorites. Nice event.

Beverage Seminars- "eh"- first of all, I don't appreciate the seating nazis yelling at me about where I sit. The pours were ridiculously small- smaller than they were when the events were free. Presenters were so-so, nice enough but sometimes English was an issue. The wines were generally good but they were the same wines they poured at PFTS.

Culinary Demonstrations- good. I liked these more than I thought. Nice sized glass of wine and food sample. Fun to see the chefs at work. However, we went to 2 of these and one of the dishes came back as a repeat the next night at PFTS.

Booths- GREAT- I thought the booths were extra good this year. Stand-outs- the taco and tamale from Mexico, the mussels from Belgium, the chicken soup from Puerto Rico, the braised ribs from France. As in years past, we also enjoyed the Canadian cheese soup. Lamb slider was a lamb burger- no longer the leg of lamb it used to be- very disappointing. The tenderloin from Africa (tough) and the empanada (boring) were disappointments. Other items we tasted were all good.

Eat to the Beat- 38 Special was very good. Night Ranger was awful- many people were walking out. Had the pleasure of meeting Billy Ocean over at Beach Club and was sorry to have missed him- he was very nice to chat with.

 

[sharpstick]

My wife and I went to the F & W last week. We've been regular attendees and were very disappointed to see that the previously free wine and culinary workshops now cost from $8 to $12 each.
I understand that Disney has to reorganize their policies in this difficult economy. But I fear this will hurt them more than help. I know of many resident retirees who will not be able to afford regular visits to f & W any more.
Considering the high price of attending, (Disney's passes are probably the highest of any theme park already.) this raises the price of enjoying everything even more. We attended two of the seminars, spending $40. (We used to do 3 or 4). In addition, we went through $100 on our wrist bands for the food and beverages around the world. You do the math.
The only good thing about the new reservation system is that you don't have to wait in line as long to attend, but that could have been done regardless of fees.
The most disappointing thing was that this new fee policy seemed to be unannounced as far as I can tell and turned out to be a nasty surprise. I did look beforehand because I saw no mention of free seminars when looking for the event schedule. I also asked about it on another forum that is monitored by Disney staff and got no response.
They could have at least started with 3 or 4 dollars to start with and give us a chance to get used to the added expenses. This will certainly be a factor when we renew our season passes.
(I know of at least one family who did not renew their season passes at Busch Gardens after they stopped the ancient tradition of free beer!)

 

[danissmart]

Just back from a 5 day trip and had a great time. Some reviews:

3D Dessert Party- "eh". There weren't enough desserts to choose from, not enough chocolate and not enough beverage offerings. And the beverages that were there (scotch, scotch, port, scotch, scotch, champagne, scotch, scotch, deKyper's- sort of joking but there was a LOT of scotch) gave the stingiest pours ever! 1 oz pours were the norm- ridiculous at a party like this. Only about 6-8 different desserts, repeated over and over at different tables. This event needs a bit more drink variety, better pours and a full cheese table and then it may have been worth it. But what was worth it?!?! Those amazing glasses!!!! DO NOT MISS putting the special glasses they give you on and watching the fireworks. I was simply astounded, enthralled, delighted. Those glasses made me so very happy. Don't miss it!

PFTS- AWESOME!- this is our 4th one and I liked this one 2nd best. LOVED that Cirque was back- to me that makes the ticket price much easier to swallow as I am a huge Cirque fan. The acts were very good as was the music. I did not fidn it any more crowded that any other one I have ever gone to. The floor seemed more crowded because they added a lot more tables for all the people who insist on sitting down. We personally like to move around staopping at cocktail tables to sip and bite and chat and then moving on. But it is clear that that is not most people's perception of they way the event is supposed to go and Disney caved to the pressure adding more tables. To me, those tables were in the way and broke the flow of the room. I thought there was excellent variety and the desserts were great. The wines were all very similar (South American). And YES, they were all the same vineyards from the wine tastings on Fri & Sat. Some of them had a few different wines but it was the same wineries and many of the same pours. At this event, pours were generous. The lamb on Israeli couscous, the cavatelli with braised lamb, the short ribs, duck with gorgonzola grits and Robert Irvine's tenderloin with amazing mashed potatoes were our favorites. Nice event.

Beverage Seminars- "eh"- first of all, I don't appreciate the seating nazis yelling at me about where I sit. The pours were ridiculously small- smaller than they were when the events were free. Presenters were so-so, nice enough but sometimes English was an issue. The wines were generally good but they were the same wines they poured at PFTS.

Culinary Demonstrations- good. I liked these more than I thought. Nice sized glass of wine and food sample. Fun to see the chefs at work. However, we went to 2 of these and one of the dishes came back as a repeat the next night at PFTS.

Booths- GREAT- I thought the booths were extra good this year. Stand-outs- the taco and tamale from Mexico, the mussels from Belgium, the chicken soup from Puerto Rico, the braised ribs from France. As in years past, we also enjoyed the Canadian cheese soup. Lamb slider was a lamb burger- no longer the leg of lamb it used to be- very disappointing. The tenderloin from Africa (tough) and the empanada (boring) were disappointments. Other items we tasted were all good.

Eat to the Beat- 38 Special was very good. Night Ranger was awful- many people were walking out. Had the pleasure of meeting Billy Ocean over at Beach Club and was sorry to have missed him- he was very nice to chat with.

Thanks for the reviews. Very helpful.

On another note. Does anyone know the Festival Welcome center hours? We arrive on an EMH night for Epcot and will be at the park around 9. Will it still be open?

 

[Dis_Yoda]

My wife and I went to the F & W last week. We've been regular attendees and were very disappointed to see that the previously free wine and culinary workshops now cost from $8 to $12 each.
I understand that Disney has to reorganize their policies in this difficult economy. But I fear this will hurt them more than help. I know of many resident retirees who will not be able to afford regular visits to f & W any more.
Considering the high price of attending, (Disney's passes are probably the highest of any theme park already.) this raises the price of enjoying everything even more. We attended two of the seminars, spending $40. (We used to do 3 or 4). In addition, we went through $100 on our wrist bands for the food and beverages around the world. You do the math.
The only good thing about the new reservation system is that you don't have to wait in line as long to attend, but that could have been done regardless of fees.
The most disappointing thing was that this new fee policy seemed to be unannounced as far as I can tell and turned out to be a nasty surprise. I did look beforehand because I saw no mention of free seminars when looking for the event schedule. I also asked about it on another forum that is monitored by Disney staff and got no response.
They could have at least started with 3 or 4 dollars to start with and give us a chance to get used to the added expenses. This will certainly be a factor when we renew our season passes.
(I know of at least one family who did not renew their season passes at Busch Gardens after they stopped the ancient tradition of free beer!)

They started the fees last year for $5 to $8

 

[sharpstick]

They started the fees last year for $5 to $8

Ah, I think last year was the first year in many that we missed. I'm still disappointed.

 

[TDC Nala]

The most disappointing thing was that this new fee policy seemed to be unannounced as far as I can tell and turned out to be a nasty surprise.

It's actually been out for months, and they began charging fees for the seminars last year (the fees were increased this year). There was also the opportunity to book ahead of time, and if you are a TIW member, DVC member or annual passholder you can get $3 off the cost of the seminar by booking ahead, depending on availability.

 

[sharpstick]

It's actually been out for months, and they began charging fees for the seminars last year . . .

As I said, we missed last year. I presume I missed some discussion of this last year. If I get a chance, I'll try to wade through the archives, but I will guess that there were other disappointed attendees then.