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Food Verdict: Love it or Hate it – Chicken Waffle Sandwich at Sleepy Hollow

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Waffle Sandwiches snuck their onto the menu at Magic Kingdom Sleepy Hollow Refreshments last year and have been one of the park’s best lunch values ever since. I’ve tried the Nutella and Fresh Fruit and the Ham, Prosciutto, and Swiss waffles, but I hadn’t made the acquaintance of the Sweet and Spicy Chicken waffle until recently.

First, let’s talk about the location. For the view, you really can’t beat Sleepy Hollow. I mean, even with a giant crane behind it, Cinderella Castle still soars majestically above your table. You’re also parade route adjacent, with a good view of the floats as they cross the bridge from Liberty Square to the hub.

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The restaurant itself is in a great looking building with lots of architectural style and feels like it would fit in fine in revolutionary America. Seating is plentiful and there’s a covered area if the rains decide to come, which they often do in Central Florida.

Read More »Food Verdict: Love it or Hate it – Chicken Waffle Sandwich at Sleepy Hollow

Instapic: Cat Cora’s Kouzzina for Breakfast

from Instagram: Walt Disney World might be known as a people trap run by a mouse, but it also has a famous cat in residence. Cat Cora, celebrity chef, took over the culinary direction of Kouzzina a few years ago. I’ve heard good things about… Read More »Instapic: Cat Cora’s Kouzzina for Breakfast

Disneyland Dining: Discover The Secrets Insiders Know

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The dining scene at Disneyland has seen many changes in recent years. DCA’s re-launch added some amazing options while Disneyland retooled its menus just slightly, and upgraded a few popular locations with more space and more options. Needless to say, the choices can leave the new or infrequent visitor scratching their heads.

Here are some “insider tips” to help all guests find the best Disneyland dining options:

Favorite spots for outdoor dining: The terrace at Wine Country Trattoria, the patio at Carthay Circle Restaurant and the back patio at Flo’s V-8 Cafe in Cars Land, all at Disney California Adventure Park; Carnation Cafe on Main Street, U.S.A., the front porch of Plaza Inn and River Belle Terrace (where we’re told Walt Disney used to have breakfast on Sunday mornings), all in Disneyland Park; the terrace at Napa Rose, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa; Uva Bar, Downtown Disney District.

Most romantic dinner spot: It’s a toss-up between Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (above) and a corner table at Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel.Read More »Disneyland Dining: Discover The Secrets Insiders Know

Best Food and Dining Values at Disneyland

Planning a trip to Disneyland doesn’t have to break the bank, at least when it comes to food. If you know where to go, you can find economy-minded choices for delicious dining and save a little to spend on dessert or that souvenir you’ve been dying to have.

The good news is you won’t be stuck with hot dogs and hamburgers either.  Here are over 40 interesting options for inexpensive dining ($11 or less) at the Disneyland Resort:

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At Disneyland Park

  • Village Haus Restaurant in Fantasyland (chicken sausage with sauerkraut on a pretzel roll  or apple and cheddar salad with red and green apples, cheddar cheese, fresh greens, Craisins Dried Cranberries, golden raisins, candied walnuts and honey-yogurt dressing)
  • The Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland (bacon-wrapped asparagus, vegetable, chicken or beef skewers)
  • Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland (three-cheese enchiladas with red chile sauce)
  • Carnation Café on Main Street, U.S.A. (a bowl of loaded baked potato soup)
  • The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland (fish and chips)
  • Hungry Bear in Critter Country (fried green tomato sandwich, turkey and provolone sandwich, chicken salad sandwich)
  • Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in Tomorrowland (slice of veggie pizza, tomato-basil pasta (pictured above))
  • Royal Street Veranda in New Orleans Square (gumbo or creamy chowder in a sourdough bowl)
  • Tomorrowland Terrace (veggie sandwich, grilled chicken chop salad)

Read More »Best Food and Dining Values at Disneyland

Food Network Magical Disney Vacation Special Debuts January 24

If you’re planning a Magical Disney vacation, chances are you’ve been salivating over what dining reservations to make to complete the experience. Food Network host Jeff Mauro and his family recently picked a few of their favorites and journeyed to Walt Disney World for a… Read More »Food Network Magical Disney Vacation Special Debuts January 24

Morocco adding Spice Road Restaurant

Spice Road Table Construction

Spice Road Table Construction

Morocco Pavilion at EPCOT will soon open its third dining option. Spice Road Table will offer a variety of regional Moroccan flavored small plates and specialty drinks along with an scenic view of the World Showcase lagoon in front of the Morocco pavilion. The newly opened building will also hold some of the old favorites including Art of Henna and a bazaar with great merchandise

Designed for “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” viewing or relaxing with a selection of Moroccan flavors and cocktails along World Showcase Lagoon, Spice Road Table is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds, say the restaurant’s designers. There’s an array of small plates: zesty harissa chicken drumettes; a Mediterranean omelet with sausage, potatoes and caramelized onion; mussels with preserved lemons and tomato sauce baked in an earthenware tagine pot; Moroccan merguez sausage with a fresh tomato salad; garlicky jumbo shrimp in a spicy chile pepper sauce.Read More »Morocco adding Spice Road Restaurant

Five Dishes to Make Your EPCOT Food & Wine Experience A Success

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Had some friends in town and my wife and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary this week, so we planned a return trip to EPCOT yesterday with the goal to graze around the world sampling some of our old favorites and a few of the new dishes that debuted at this year’s festival. I think it’s safe to say the evening was a success.

All in all I think Disney has done a great job with the festival this year. Many of the old favorites have returned and there are a healthy dose of new dishes to sample this year. They’ve improved the seating around the popular Belgium and Germany booths. The Eat to the Beat concert lineup is also very strong this year.

I’m still not a fan of having so much of the festival take place away from the world showcase in the old Wonder’s of Life pavilion (but I do appreciate the air conditioning there). I also think they’re under utilizing the World Showplace (the big blue tent originally built for the Millennial Celebrations) as it could hold a day long party for all attendees just as well as the few big evening events. I’d love to see food from 60+ countries one day instead of the 25ish we have now. Finally, generally speaking (but not 100% in all cases) the food is much saltier this year than before. After two days of sampling and coming home feeling red in the face with fingers swollen, I’m not happy about all the salt.

Planning your own trip to EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival in 2013? While I haven’t sampled all the various dishes (I’m not made of gold), I think I have found a few of the newer selections that really are worth a trip. They are, in no particular order:Read More »Five Dishes to Make Your EPCOT Food & Wine Experience A Success

Pork Two Ways at the California Grill: An Old Friend Returns, Only Better.

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I have a confession to make:  I’ve been having a deep, personal relationship with the pork two-ways from California Grill.  You may say “Oh, it’s just another pretty dish” or “How can it be any better than its previous incarnation, the pork loin?” Well, it’s better, trust me. And it’s completely worthy of its own post.

If you dined at the California Grill before the recent refurbishment, you know that the pork loin was its number one dish for two decades. It was simple peasant food really, just a basic polenta flavored with goat cheese and topped with a few slices of lightly seasoned tenderloin and some button mushrooms. It’s simplicity, of course, was also what made it perfect.  But while it was filling and satisfying, it had gotten a little bit boring. In recent years, I’d found myself straying over to the scallops or, if I was feeling especially adventurous, the sushi.  It, not unlike the décor and the overall feel of the rest of the restaurant, was in serious need of an overhaul.

When the California Grill opened back up a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see that they had updated, but not removed entirely, some of its best dishes, the pork being one of them. Now you’ll get a smaller serving of pork loin topped with fried sage and another serving of pork belly. Pork belly, you say?  Think a big square of bacon. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.Read More »Pork Two Ways at the California Grill: An Old Friend Returns, Only Better.