My F&WF review! (LONG!)

[halfway there]

We just returned from a long weekend at WDW and opening day at the F&WF! I'm sure you're all familiar with the booth listing on Deb's site so I will use that as a guide to show what we ate and how it tasted (The things we tried are in bold). The goal was to eat our way around the world. The challenge for our family of four me, DH, DD(12) and DS(8), was to have at least one person try at least one thing from each booth. DH concentrated on the beer, me on the white wine and the kids, of course, FOOD! Mission accomplished, all in one day!!

Here's what we sampled:

GREECE

Tasting: Honey Baklava - Good, kids ate off the top of the pastry which left me with mostly nuts!, Greek Salad - Good, came with a large garlic crouton which kids devoured leaving me with just a nibble!, Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce, Spanakopita

Wine and Beer: Boutari Kreitikos Red and Boutari Kreitikos White

FRESH FROM FLORIDA

Tasting: Blackened Mahi with Pineapple Salsa, Fisherman's Stew with Shrimp, Clams and Seafood - DH had this and deemed it the best of the Festival, Frozen Grapefruit Juice

Wine and Beer: Florida Orange Groves Grapefruit, Florida Orange Groves Strawberry, Ybor Gold

MEXICO

Tasting: Chicken Taco al Carbon - We all shared this, came with a green salsa and was served on an open faced soft tortilla, Chorizo and Chicken Quesadila - DD loved this and went back for more the second time around, folded soft tortilla with cheese, Watermelon Water

Wine and Beer: Dos Equis Lager, LA Cetto Petite Sirah, Monte Xanic Sauvignon Blanc

IRELAND

Tasting: Corned Beef and Cabbage with Colcannon - Caught this on our second pass as the line was too long the first time, DS liked this which surprised us all since he's a picky eater, also ran out of cabbage so sub mashed potatoes which were actually good!, not listed: Potato and Leek soup, Whiskey Flan

Wine and Beer: Bunratty Meade Honey Wine, Guinness Stout, O'Mara's Irish Cream

SCANDINAVIA

Tasting: Cold Poached Salmon, Smoked Trout, Rice Cream

Wine and Beer: Carlsberg - Just a beer here for DH, not crazy about the food offerings altho' the woman in front of me raved about the trout, she was back there so many times the guys working recognized her! She did say the salmon was dry., Cherry Kijafa, Dunnewood Merlot, Carmenet Cellars Chardonnay - Almost forgot I had this, kinda basic white wine and I'm not a big fan of Chardonnay anyway.

CHINA

Tasting: Hainan Mango Mousse, Chicken Sha Cha with Peanut Sauce - Good, skewer of boneless chicken, got sauce on the side, DS sampled this also minus the sauce Dan Dan Noodles, Beijiing Scallion Pancakes

Wine and Beer: Akadama Plum Wine, Tsingtao, Yanjing

POLAND

Tasting: Kielbasa and Pieorgies - Got this on our second time around, again because of the line the first time, DH says second best offering and I actually tried the pieorgie even tho' I never had one and didn't even know what it was!, Stuffed Cabbage Roll

Wine and Beer: Lednicki Polish Mead Honey, Nalewka Babuni Cherry Wine, Okocim OK

SOUTH AFRICA

Tasting: Beef Sosaie - This was by far the best for me, a beef strip laced accordian style onto a skewer, very tasty, served with a tablespoon of sweet potato fu fu (YUMMY!), Durban Spiced Chicken - A little too spicy for me, DH and DD ate it, good chicken tho'

Wine and Beer: Cape Indaba Chenin Blanc - This was the best wine for me, very light and dry
Quantum Rhapsody Blush, Tusker Beef, Cape Indaba Merlot

AUSTRALIA

Tasting: Shirmp on the Barbie, Australian Lamb with Caramelized Onions, Austrailian Tenderloin with BBQ sauce - This was disapponting for me as I looked forward to this the most. Actually we hoped to get everything here but the line was too long the first time around and by the second pass it was so dark it was hard to see what you were eating and unfortunately the meat was raw and cold in the middle! I tossed it even tho' it was the most expensive offering we got. I was just glad not to get sick from eating raw meat!, Macademia Nut and Wattleseed Pavolva

Wine and Beer: Lindemans Chadonnay Bin 65 - Good as usual since I've had this at home before, Penfolds Koonuga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet, Rosemount Diamond Shiraz, Wynns Black Label Cabernet

OCTOBERFEST

Tasting: Jaegerschnitzel, Apple Strudel - Good basic pastry, Smoked Pork Ribs

Wine and Beer: Dr. L. Mosel Riesling, Graf Piesporter Michelsberg Spatese, Valckenbery Rhein Dry Riesling, Lowenbrau,
Lowenbrau Oktoberfest - DH had this

ITALY

Tasting: Baked Ziti Carbonara - Very good, no red sauce, kinda mac 'n' cheesy tasting, DD and I wolfed it down!, Sicilian Pizza, Cannoli

Wine & Beer: Canaletto Merlot/Nero d'Avola, Moretti, PescevinaWHite, Placido Pinot Grigio, Tiziano Chianti

SPECIALTY BEER GARDEN

Doc'sHard Lemon/Frozen, Grolsch, Kelly's Raspberry IRish CIder, Michelog HOney, Anheuser World Select,
Red Stripe - DH likes this in general
Samuel Adams Boston Lagar, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, Samuel Adams Light and Samuel Adams Seasonal

UNITED STATES - Alas, the only booth we didn't make it to, poor USA gets the short end! We were scrambling at the end to get everything in!!

Tasting: Crab Cakes, cheesecake, Corn and Lobster Chowder, Bee Sweet Honey Lemonade

Wine and Beer: Beringer Founder's Estate Chardonnay, Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet, Michelob Ultra, Ravenswood Zinfandel, Samual Adams Seasonal

CHAMPAGNE and SPARKLING WINE

Tasting: White Chocolate Mousse - Good, sweet, a mix between whipped cream and icing, served in one of those little cups you put ketchup in, not bad for $1.25. It was the cheapest offering, I believe

Wine and Beer: Banfi Rosa Regale, Cabriere Brut, Champagne Pommery Brut, Valckenbery Madonna Sekt

JAPAN

Tasting: Golden Salmon Wrap, Sweet Green Tea Mousse, Tuna Tataki, Yasai Maki - DH had this basic sushi

Wine and Beer: Genbei San No Onigoroshi Sake, Kirin Ichiban Draft, Ozeki Dry Sake, Takara Plum Wine, Yamada Nishiki Sake

MOROCCO and MEDITERRANEAN

Tasting: Vegetable Couscous, Hummus, Lemon Chicken - Good but bland leg served with yellow rice and olives, DD and I ate the rice while DH munched on the chicken, Kafta Beef Kabob

Wine and Beer: Casablanca, Guerrouane White, Rene Barbier Red and Rene Barbier White

FRANCE

Tasting: Creme Brulee, Frog Leg Chowder, Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

Wine and Beer: Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Villages, Georges DuBoeuf Prestige Cabernet, Georges DuBoeuf Prestige Chardonnay, Sparr Alsace ONe - I tried this just to have something here, it was OK but kinda fizzy, St. Amand French Country Ale

GREAT BEERS OF THE WORLD

Bass ale, Boddingtons, Carlsberg, Lowenbrau, Oktoberfest, Labatt Blue - DH likes this too, Stella Artois

NEW ZEALAND

Tasting: Lamb Chop - DH ate this in a kiwi BBQ sauce, came with a small square of bread which the kids and I ate Chilled Mussels

Wine and Beer: Geisen Chardonnay, Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc - Good, second to the Indaba in SA, Villa Maria Cabernet/Merlot

COGNAC, PORT, BRANDY

Tasting: Flourless Chocolate Cake - DD went for this after we found out the cheese offering was bleu cheese and a strawberry with crackers. Very dark, flat and dense with a swizzle of chocolate sauce on top. I don't believe I even got a smidgen of this!!, International Cheeses

Wine and Beer: Cardinale Mendoza Spanish Brandy, Hennessey VSOP Cognac, Osborne Ruby Port, Remy Red

SPAIN

Tasting: Gazpacho with Spanish Olive Bread, Sangria Flan, Paella with Shrimp and Clams, Chicken and Chorizo - DH tried this, not as good as the Fisherman's Stew

Wine and Beer: Alhambra, Gran Barquero Cream Sherry, Marques de Caceres Rosado, Montecillo Rioja Red, Zambra Sangria

CANADA

Tasting: Pan seared salmon with oney maple glaze, Cheddar Cheese soup - DH ate this, said it was OK, sure smelled good with bacon bits on top, Maple Walnut fudge - This was too die for! YUM! I ate it all myself!

Wine and Beer: Chateau des Charmes Cabernet/Merlot, Inniskillin Pearl Ice Wine, Labatt Blue

RUSSIA and EASTERN EUROPE

Tasting: Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles - DD wanted this originally but didn't like it, the noodles were very buttery tasting so she ate those. I sampled but I didn't care for it either. The gravy tasted weird so DH finished it off!, Potato Pancake with Sauerkraut and Sour Cream

Wine and Beer: Bulls Blood Egri Bikaver, Pilsner Urquell - DH was low on fuel so got one of these!, Royal Tokaji Red Label, Sophia Muscat and Ugni Blanc White

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Tasting: Pulled Chicken with Chilli and Lime - This was Spicy with a capital "S", jalepeno perhaps? Chopped and shredded chicken, Shrimp Noodle Soup - DH got this, came with one shrimp, not great he said. He had to finish off the chicken for us anyway!

Wine and Beer: Beringer Gewurztraminer, Hogue Johannisberg Riesling

COLORFUL EATING

Tasting: Caramelized Pear with Broccoli Slaw and Gorgonzola Cream, Citrus and Mango Salad, Grapefruit Cake - Surprisingly very good even tho' it sounds weird, a white cake with a creamy frosting, tasted kinda lemony, Frozen Orange Juice - DS's only contribution on the first pass, but he drank the whole thing and it came in a fairly large cup. The bottle they poured the mixture from said "Cherry, grape and orange slush"

Wine and Beer: Florida Orange Groves Coca Polada, Stella Artois

As I said, we did skip USA since we ran out of time but there was another booth Deb's site doesn't list: South America: Vegetarian Black Bean Soup - OK but kinda bland and thick, Beef Skewer with Chimchurri and Chipotle-spiked Boniato Mash - DH had this and I don't remember much about it since we were watching Illuminations at this point. I tasted the potatoes and they were very bland not as good as Ireland's.
Wine & Beer: Carmen Cabernet, Cincha Y Toro "Casillero del Diablo" Carmenere, Rincon Malbec, Veramonte Chardonnay

Any questions?

 

[ghidorah97]

Thank you very much for the reviews - sounds great! In general, how crowded was the Festival? I've heard that the opening weekend can be a bit crazy at times.

Thanks again!

Brad

 

[Disneyolic]

Thanks so much for your report. We're counting the days until we get our samplings...

~DawnMaree

 

[Hadjii]

Wow. Thanks for that review. I can't wait to try everything. I'm dying to eat that grapefruit cake. I hear it's wonderful. Did you have a favorite dessert? We are sweet fanatics and don't want to waste any precious tummy space on less than fabulous desserts. Thanks !

 

[halfway there]

In general, how crowded was the Festival? I've heard that the opening weekend can be a bit crazy at times.

I thought it was very crowded! I've never seen that many people at EPCOT! Most of the lines were about 10-15 deep, any longer and we didn't wait. We would split up and each wait in lines closeby while the kids sat in the shade. Surprisingly hot and sunny that day! It eased up a bit around 3ish but was busy again later because of all the people just coming in for evening snacking!

Did you have a favorite dessert? We are sweet fanatics and don't want to waste any precious tummy space on less than fabulous desserts.

Yes! The Maple Walnut Fudge was the BEST!! I also really liked the Grapefruit Cake but I can't get over how weird it sounds. The samples were small, probably 2 inches square and an inch and a half high, maybe less?

 

[luvpooh]

thanks for your review, I'm really looking forward to experiencing it myself!
One question, was the Durban spiced chicken from South Africa served as it was last year, on a skewer with a sauce and with a white cornmeal type thing? It was my bf's favorite and the one thing he's looking forward to the most at the F&WF!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

We would like to eat our way around the world in Nov. Everything sounds wonderful! Can you estimate how much your trip around the world cost? I know each sample is pretty inexpensive but it will add up by the end of the night I would think. Thanks for the help!

 

[halfway there]

One question, was the Durban spiced chicken from South Africa served as it was last year, on a skewer with a sauce and with a white cornmeal type thing?

Yes. I had to think about this for a minute as I was imagining a leg for some reason but it was definitely very white breast meat. DH finished it so I guess the skewer didn't stick in my mind. <--Boy, did that come out sounding wrong!! LOL
I don't remember a sauce but it was sprinkled with a paprika-colored spice that had a zing to it. The cornmeal pap cake was served on the side. It looked like a white triangle sponge.
I was busy devouring the beef and wine from this booth!

Can you estimate how much your trip around the world cost?

Are you sitting down?? LOL No, really it does add up and with 26 booths at an average of only $4 a sample, that's still over $100. Beer and wine cost more, of course, and some booths have large beers which are actually just average size cups. Small beers come in little plastic cups like Dixie cups and the wine is served in approx. 2oz plastic wine glasses with stems. OK so are you sitting yet? I will tell you that we took $140 out of the ATM at the beginning of the Festival and came home with about $20! That was lunch and dinner for 4. We feasted from noon to nine!!

 

[jann1033]

actually that would only be about $30 per so 15 each per "meal"(lunch and dinner) and includes wine and beer

never been but thinking about next year..is each sample a bite or more..you said the mouse was maybe 1-2 tbs( visualizing a catsup cup)?. so are they all that big or larger. now THAT sounds like lots of money (for a couple tablespoons) at $4 per sample.

Thanks

 

[halfway there]

is each sample a bite or more..you said the mouse was maybe 1-2 tbs( visualizing a catsup cup)?. so are they all that big or larger. now THAT sounds like lots of money (for a couple tablespoons) at $4 per sample.

I would say most of the food was about $2-3. A few things were $3-4. The beer and wine ranged anywhere from about $2-5. The mousse was indeed tiny but so sweet, I couldn't eat much more! Yes, a catsup cup is what I was referring to, about 2TBSP but it was only $1.25. The fudge also cost about that much.

The beef in Australia was $4.25, a big portion but it was raw so kind of a waste there! Most of the chicken servings consisted of one leg or a 3-4oz skewer, the lamp chop was little, kielbasa was 2-3 inches long, soup was served in little cups the size of a votive candle and every booth was using dessert sized paper plates.

We managed to share several things three ways (DS was not as adventurous) so I'd estimate more than a few bites each.

 

[swankybeth]

Yummy! Thanks for the reviews, I'm SO excited to try the stuff myself very soon.

 

[Margie J]

Thanks so much for the review. I can't wait until next week when I can sample in person.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Thank-you for the estimate. That is about what I thought we would spend. Actually that is less than a sit down dinner and it is fun to try new things. We will be there the last weekend, I hope that all the types of food are still available. Epcot is one of my favorite places to have dinner, too bad it's 1000 miles from home!

 

[IvyandLace]

*wiping drool off keyboard*

*giggle*

Can't wait...9 more days!!


IVY

 

[SamSam]

I can hardly wait till we're there; eating ourselves silly! Thanks for the great reviews.

 

[icelady]

We will be there 11-2 to 11-12 can't wait to try it all.

 

[dsneygirl]

Originally posted by halfway there
I thought it was very crowded! I've never seen that many people at EPCOT! Most of the lines were about 10-15 deep, any longer and we didn't wait. We would split up and each wait in lines closeby while the kids sat in the shade. Surprisingly hot and sunny that day! It eased up a bit around 3ish but was busy again later because of all the people just coming in for evening snacking!

I was there on Saturday as well and I don't remember ever seeing Epcot that crowded. We finally clued in that we should split up as well.

I think we each (Me, DH and BIL) probably spent about $30 but like you said that's a nice meal, a glass of wine and dessert.

 

[Micca]

Thanks for the report.

 

[Minniespal]

Thanx for the detailed reviews ~ We are spending a day eating around the booths too.