Epcot Food & Wine Festival: My Must-Try List

Just ten days until I hit the Food & Wine Festival for the first time! I've been studying menus, reading reviews, and making a plan. I have a long list of things I want to try, and I've compiled a few of them here (with the help of some great photographers and bloggers- please check out the blog links in the photo credits!).

There are several things that I will certainly try- like most of the vegetarian offerings, including just about everything at the Terra kiosk. But as a "recovering vegetarian", there are many dishes- particularly seafood offerings- that I would not have tried before the change in my eating habits that has occurred over the past year or so. I'm looking forward to branching out.

I've included the dish, the country or kiosk where it can be found, and a small bit about why it's on my list.

I present, in no particular order- a few things that are on my must-try list at this year's Food & Wine Festival....

Favorites on Friday: Vegetarian Fare at Bradley Falls, Disney's Animal Kingdom

Almost all of my visits to Walt Disney World have been as a vegetarian. WDW is a great place to be a veg, with options at practically every restaurant and eatery throughout the parks and resorts. Some places, however, have more to offer than others. I always felt Animal Kingdom was lacking in the kind of food I wanted to eat. Sure, there are a few offerings to be found here and there, but most places never seemed to have the kind of thing I was looking for. There was one notable exception, though: the eggroll stand, now known as Bradley Falls kiosk.

photo courtesy of www.easywdw.com

Found on the walkway between Asia and Africa, this little stand featured my favorite veggie eggroll snack (or meal, if I doubled my order).

Farewell old friend...

When I heard they were changing their menu last year, I was worried. Would they still have my favorite veggie treat? It turns, the answer to that was no. However, I was thrilled to discover that while my veggie eggroll was gone, in its place was a whole new menu, completely vegetarian!

The Summer Rolls are tasty and light, filled with fresh veggies, rice noodles, and accompanied by a peanut dipping sauce. The sauce is a bit different than your typical peanut sauce- a little thicker, and with a flavor I couldn't quite put my finger on. Actually, my favorite use for the sauce was mixing it into the Asian Noodle Salad (a salad so delicious, it was 3/4 gone before I remembered I hadn't yet snapped a photo).

I did not sample the edamame, but I've heard good reviews. We rounded out the meal with a fruit salad- fresh, ripe, and not a soft grape or squishy blueberry to be found! Expensive for a fruit salad? Sure. But it was 50 cents cheaper than the weak one I saw at the airport a few days later, and the airport one was definitely not served in a pineapple...

Where to relax with your food? There happens to be a perfect seating area close by. It's nestled in across the path, next to the river, with an amazing view of the Tree of Life.

Are you interested in reading more about Bradley Falls kiosk? For a different take on this food stand, including shots of the noodle dish and the fantastic seating area, visit easywdw.com's post here.

Look for this trash can  in the seating area.

Have you ever been to the Bradley Falls kiosk? What's your favorite vegetarian fare at Animal Kingdom? Tell us in the comments...

A few great things about Writer's Stop...

There's a special out-of-the way place in Disney's Hollywood Studios: Writer's Stop. Part food service, part souvenir shop, part relaxation location, Writer's Stop is a hidden gem. It's not technically out-of-the-way, as it's at a busy crossroads. It's tucked away between the SciFi Dine-In Theater and the place where the Streets of America meld into Endor. But it's set back a bit, and the outside is somewhat unassuming. I often hear people say they had no idea it was there.

                                                           
This is a special little oasis, for a few simple reasons:

1) When it's hot out (and let's face it, that's most of the time), this place has some superior air conditioning. There's a spot near the front of the shop, about halfway between the front doors and the first service counter, where a big duct of cold air just pours right down, full blast. Do not underestimate the power this can have when you're overheated, dragging, worn out, sweating, or otherwise in need of a boost.

If you stood next to this shelf of mugs, across from the service desk, you'd be bathed in cold air...

2) They serve good coffee, and a variety of tasty treats to go along with it. The left side of the shop is a food and beverage service area, filled with tasty delights.

 (This photo does not do the food and beverage selection justice- trust me, or google some images...)

3) This really is a place to stop. It offers comfortable seating, arranged in clusters, with lots of reading material available for perusal and/or purchase.  Music and DVDs are also for sale, as well as a selection of small housewares. A stop here, for a fifteen minute break to refuel and recharge, can do wonders for the rest of your day.

But as is often the case with Disney, the story doesn't stop there. There's another reason why I'll always love Writer's Stop- and that's because of a kind Cast Member.

During one of our trips, my daughter and I had split from my husband so we could each go off to do a few different attractions. We had a rendezvous time and a meetup spot, and we needed to be prompt because we had to make it to a reservation at one of the resorts. We couldn't be late! As things often go, we were having a blast when we suddenly realized we were very late. My husband had no doubt been waiting already, and we needed to fly. But there was a problem: my daughter had her heart set on getting a bag of Chip 'n Dale pretzels that day. This was a major souvenir in her eyes, and she had been talking about them and looking forward to it the whole time we toured the park. I foolishly waited until the end of the day to get them. (Yay, go Mom!). I knew they sold them in the Writer's Stop, but I didn't think we'd have time to go and still make it back within a reasonable window after our scheduled meetup time. We reluctantly decided to go for it, but I warned my daughter that we had to be quick- in & out!  We raced into Writer's Stop, and she went to the pretzel rack (as I stood bathing in the cold air from point #1 above). Bag in hand, she walked to the counter, only to hear the CM say, "Sorry, my register's down- you'll have to bring them to the register at the coffee counter". We turned toward the coffee counter....and saw a line about 12 people deep. My daughter and I locked eyes for a few seconds, she bowed her head, then slowly turned to walk toward the rack to put the pretzels back. The CM watched her, and asked what was wrong. "We're late- we're supposed to be over at Indy, so I don't have time for the line", she said, swallowing back a  tear. The CM shook her head, leaned over, and said, "Take them- they're a present from me".

A simple, kind gesture- but one that I will always remember.

I believe stories like this happen all over the parks and resorts, all the time. The company empowers its employees to make this sort of thing happen, and Cast Members can- and do- spread little bits of magic with guests.

Have you ever had a CM interaction that left a big impression?

Have you visited the Writer's Stop?

Please share your story with us in the comments!

Breakfast at home...

I just tried my hand at plussing the pancakes- what do you think?? While fun to eat, the mold I used for these only makes one pancake at a time...so not very practical for a family breakfast. Hmmm...I wonder if there's a multi-pancake version out there somewhere. Let me know if you find one...

Favorites on Friday....

Fridays will feature various favorites from Disney Parks- favorite foods, favorite attractions, favorite spots, and more. This time, it's Favorite Foods...

Ah, food. A most important part of any visit to the parks and resorts. Countless things are written every day about the magic of food at WDW. (Be sure to check out www.disneyfoodblog.com for the most amazing array of food-related info you could ever want). For many people, a major part of the magic is planning advanced dining reservations, sampling their favorite treats, or trying out new dishes around the parks and resorts.

First up: my favorite salad. I dream about this salad. It's the Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad with sherry dressing, found at Sunshine Seasons in The Land pavilion at Epcot. This is my perfect salad- often attempted at home, but never quite making it to the level of perfection found at Sunshine Seasons. The tender greens, the perfectly-roasted beets, the creamy herbed cheese, the candied pecans, the sesame-sprinkled flatbread ribbon....

Have you tried this salad? What's your favorite salad in WDW?

How do you plus the experience of waiting for your table?

Waiting for your table at a restaurant...it's fact of life anywhere, and one that all WDW visitors will experience at one time or another. How do you plus the experience of waiting for a table, especially when there are five hungry children in tow? Just leave a few hula hoops in the waiting area...

Just outside Trail's End at Fort Wilderness...