Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Team Post--2010 Food & Wine Festival Excitement




DisneyDad:  “This is GREAT!  Every few feet you can get a snack and a beer!”  These are words my wife, who loves to “people watch,” overheard a man tell his wife as they walked past several years ago while we were at the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.  For the F&WF it is true.  This year there are 27 International Marketplaces for you to get a “snack and a beer.”  We have our favorite marketplaces we never miss and this year there are also 3 new locations.




South Korea, Belgium and Charcuterie & Cheese join the international selections of food, wine and beer.  South Korea’s menu will be Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw along with Barbecue Short Ribs with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi.  Belgium will have Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream and Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream. Charcuterie & Cheese will have Cheese Fondue with Croutons and Roasted Potatoes along with Applewood Smoked Beef, Duck and Ham.  (I had to look up “Charcuterie”. Epicurious defines charcuterie as “taken from the term cuiseur de chair, meaning "cooker of meat," charcuterie has been considered a French culinary art at least since the 15th century. It refers to the products, particularly (but not limited to) pork specialties such as PÂTÉS, RILLETTES, GALANTINES, CRÉPINETTES, etc., which are made and sold in a delicatessen-style shop, also called a charcuterie.")  Along with their specialty foods, each booth will have drinks representing their county.

Some of the items on my “don’t miss” list this year are:


  • Canada: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

  • Ireland: Kerrygold Cheese Selection

  • Hops and Barley" Boston-style Crab Cake with Cabbage Slaw and Remoulade; New England Lobster Roll; Pecan Bread Pudding

  • Brazil: Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime

  • Poland: Kielbasa and Potato Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream

  • United States: Bison Chili with Wild Mushrooms, Cabernet and Pepper Jack Cheese




And I’m sure I’ll find more to add to my “don’t miss” list as I walk around the World Showcase.




Of course there are selections of beer and wine throughout. Sam Adams does a beer every year just for the F&WF. This year it is 15th Anniversary Festival Beer Costal Wheat. And for dessert, Canada offers Vidal Icewine.



Me & Stella.  Long story.
I'm sure Mom is horrified I published this.


Amy:  What am I most excited about in this year's festival?  Taking Tink!  She's a pretty good eater, well, other than meat.  I'm curious to see what she'll like.  For myself, two of the new marketplaces sound interesting, South Korea and Belgium.  South Korea-Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw.  I've heard of kimchi but never tried it.  I'm an adventurous eater and have yet to find anything truly challenging at the festival.  Everything at the Belgium marketplace sounds good: Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream; Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream; Stella Artois; Godiva Chocolate Iced Coffee.  The Disney Vacation Club is sponsoring Marketplace Discovery Passports, available at the Festival Welcome Center and the DVC informational booths in Epcot.  This is new this year.  The Festival Guide says you can have it stamped with a unique design at each marketplace.  I am curious to see what this is all about.  Dad and I went to the Food and Wine Pairing at Morocco a few years ago.  It was delicious and fun but I don't think we're going to do any of the special events this time around.  I'm sure we'll catch a few demonstrations.  A couple of decent bands will be a part of the Eat to the Beat! Concert Series during our visit.  While I really enjoyed Sister Hazel in 2008, if I don't catch the acts performing this time, I am ok with that.  With a toddler, I have to keep my expectations low and my plans flexible.




Ridge:  There is a learning adventure of gastronomic proportions on the horizon.  The 15th Annual International Food and Wine Festival will soon be upon us and some old favorites are back as well as a few new entries.  What am I excited about?  Some old favorites.  Chile and the Shrimp Ceviche.  France and Escargots Persillade en Brioche.  Australia with Grilled Lamb Chop with Roasted Potato Salad and Red Wine reduction.  The Hops and Barley booth in America with the Crab Cake, Lobster Roll and Sam Adams Beers.  Also exciting is the Sam Adams seminar and tasting.  One fantastic item that is going to be back is the scallop and lobster fisherman's pie from Ireland.  Pair this up with a pint of Guinness and you have something special.  These are just a few of the classic dishes I am looking forward to.  New on the menu are South Korean roast pork and kimchi slaw and United States bison chili with cabernet and pepper jack cheese.  Belgium has steamed mussels with roasted garlic cream, which sounds outstanding to me.


What are you most excited about in this year's festival?  Are all your old favorites still on the menu?  Are you attending any of the special events associated with the festival?

4 comments:

  1. Mmmmm, reading this post makes me hungry... Thank you for all the great info! I'll be a F&WF first timer this year and your info has been very helpful! Thank you! :)

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  2. Thanks Corby! I am glad you're enjoying it! I look forward to hearing about your trip.

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  3. I just added your blog to my blogroll. I wanted to ask about something I saw Corby post about, what's up with childcare at WDW. We are thinking about another trip later this year.

    I concur about the Ireland food. We were there last year on the last day of Food and Wine and the cheese plate was my dinner.

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  4. Thanks Heather! I need to do posts on baby care centers and child care options soon. In the meantime, I'll send you some info. I hope you get to go back this yr! We're going while I have an annual pass and Audrey still flies for free.

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