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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

Food Trucks to Debut Soon in Downtown Disney

It’s the time of year when food takes center stage, with Thanksgiving right around the corner and the holidays shortly following. Downtown Disney has taken note, and has given us foodies some more good news and something to look forward to: food trucks! There are no specific dates set yet for when the trucks will make their first appearances, just that they will debut sometime in early November.

So far we know that there will be four trucks showcasing various meals from around the world, so guests can experience international dishes without all the traveling. The first truck, “Enchanted Fare,” will serve a wide variety of foods from Disney parks around the globe, such as Croque Monsieur, Glass Noodle Salad, as well as Hand-Dipped Corn Dogs.

Croque Monsieur from Magic Kingdom Park

croque-mRead More »Food Trucks to Debut Soon in Downtown Disney

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.

California Grill Construction Time Lapse Video

With sweeping views of Magic Kingdom fireworks from atop Disney's Contemporary Resort, the re-imagined California Grill also features a new design inspired by mid-century modern California, and a new menu showcasing seasonal ingredients and a lighter touch.

With sweeping views of Magic Kingdom fireworks from atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the re-imagined California Grill also features a new design inspired by mid-century modern California, and a new menu showcasing seasonal ingredients and a lighter touch.

The California Grill has always been my restaurant of choice when I wanted to celebrate a big event, so I was a bit nervous when they announced a major makeover for the space. But I needn’t have worried. The space is beautiful and the food still wonderful. If anything, I think they were a bit conservative in their vision.

You can now get your first look at the re-imagined California Grill as it is now open for dining, or drinks and a snack in the lounge (they serve the full menu there too), but the transformation didn’t happen overnight. Since the signature restaurant at Disney’s Contemporary Resort closed to guests in January, the space has been humming with activity. The wood-burning oven is just about the only thing that stayed in place as the kitchen and dining rooms got major makeovers.

Shortly after the installation of new floor-to-ceiling windows, a time-lapse camera went into place on the fifteenth floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, capturing all the construction and remodeling between June 2013 and the last test meals before opening to guests September 9th. I have a cameo during the 1:44 mark. But don’t blink!

Below the jump is a video featuring General Manager Michael Scheifler discussing the changes:
Read More »California Grill Construction Time Lapse Video

New Food Trucks coming to Downtown Disney Orlando

I’m a big fan of the food truck scene here in Central Florida. That’s my current favorite truck above! Downtown Disney has experimented off and on with adding a food truck to the lineup with mixed results. For a couple of months, there’s a been… Read More »New Food Trucks coming to Downtown Disney Orlando

California Grill: Meet Chef Brian Piasecki

California Grill Chef de Cuisine Brian Piasecki

California Grill Chef de Cuisine Brian Piasecki spent nearly a year perfecting a new menu with seasonal ingredients and a lighter touch, such as baked local prawns and wild Columbia River salmon with Zellwood sweet corn pudding. He’s been a part of Disney’s excellent foodservice team since his apprenticeship in 1991, rising through the ranks to eventually take over The California Grill in 2009. I had the chance talk with Chef Brian a few days before the restaurant officially reopened after a long remodel process:

Full bio below the jump:

Read More »California Grill: Meet Chef Brian Piasecki

Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns For Fourth Year of Treats

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You may not realize this, but the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is not the only must-attend event for foodies this fall. The culinary team at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is already gearing up for the annual Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. Get your plates and wine cups ready for two nights of outdoor food and fun on October 18 – 19.

Last year was my second year attending and it was bigger and better that the previous year. I left with a very fun stomach and a list of wines I knew I wanted to try again. The chefs and staff of the Swan and Dolphin’s best restaurants partner with their top vendors to make this an experience you’ll savor. Now that the classic is returning for its fourth year I urge you to attend and savor the flavor of culinary innovation along the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel’s lush causeway.

So what will you find at the classic? Join me below:
Read More »Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic Returns For Fourth Year of Treats