The 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Rendezvous

What better way to close out the year doing this blog than the Food and Wine Festival? The output towards this blog has decreased significantly because of rising costs and because I no longer just have to pay $200 for rent. That was a beautiful time though…..only $200 for rent and it included everything…




…..



Anyway.....



Nonetheless, the extremely popular and immersive Food and Wine Festival held at Epcot is back with few additions, more incentives, and the return of many classic features and food kiosks—and I will not let near-bankruptcy prevent my yearly cuisine voyage around the world. While I severely missed the couple years that the Caribbean held the little area next to Refreshment Port, I am proud to say that this year’s Food and Wine retains the same awesomeness that we have come to expect from the best festival located in the best Disney theme park.

I started out my journey at the Festival Center (R.I.P. Wonders of Life), where they were holding seminars, featured a couple movies, and this year includes a Ghirardelli exhibit. The chocolate exhibit was small but went straight to the point as it features the process of making chocolate on the walls and also contains a little check-out area that sells drinking chocolate---which is described as essentially a melted chocolate bar condensed into a beverage. I bought one, just to see what it feels like to drink a candy bar.

The drinking chocolate was so rich, my throat wasn’t prepared. Picture a very, very, very thick chocolate milk with the texture of a light fudge. It was good, but don’t start the day with this, because it might leave you too full to tackle on the rest of the festival. The festival building also has oodles of art and wine for sale for the purists that want to take some of the festival home. I walked out with a gift card and a $75 limit, so I don’t go too crazy.

The Food and Wine Festival isn’t as heavily decorated as last years’, and doesn’t hold a candle to the Flower and Garden Festivities. Nonetheless, all the kiosks were in tip-top shape, upgraded their registers, upgraded their cooking spaces, and for the first time you can actually drink wine on tap in certain spots—although it was Florida law that made it an impossibility before.

I started out on Brazil, #1 on my list of countries that deserves full-time World Showcase representation. Ironic its right in front of the defunct Odyssey building, because that space can definitely fit another pavilion if you close out the lake. Anyways, the menu featured an item that would be a Dominican staple since we are all about pork: the crispy pork with beans, avocado, onions, and cilantro. There isn’t enough pork in Florida, so I went with that item. The result is pork that isn’t very crispy but still contained plenty of meat and meshed well with the colder cilantro and onion combination. I am much of a black beans person (*Turns in Dominican passport*) but it was a nice contrast to the pork.

This year I tried skipping out on most of the classics to focus more on places I had skipped multiple times. But there was no way I could skip Argentina. Argentina’s grilled beef skewer remains one of my favorite little meals in the entire festival, and this year was no different. The meat is juicy, hot, and thick, and the potato puree is like a fluffy mashed potato that just hits the spot every time.

However challenging Argentina is Australia (the other I-need-my-own-full-time-pavilion) and their phenomenal lamb. This was my first shot at lamb, and boy does it deliver. It is a chunk of meat with mint pesto and little bits of potato chips on top. It was crunchy, bursting with flavor, and hits savory and sweet at all the right moments. The cool heat of mint mixed with the potato crunch and blended with the lamb (which reminds me of chicken, but in a meatier, more steak-like texture) makes Australia now one of my favorite food kiosks. I will be back here before November.

I skipped the regulars Mexico (I have had their food before, and also in some of their table-service restaurants), Singapore and China (China was unbearably busy too) and went for South Korea. Last year I had their lettuce wrap but this year they added a new item: the spicy kimchi dog. They had warned me that it was spicy, but hey I can’t say no to a hot dog. In another case of “Where have you been all my life?” the kimchi dog delivers the heat, delivers the flavor, and absolutely is worth every penny. What we have here is a spicy sausage that is thicker than your typical ballpark frank, and then its contradicted by the cold flavorful slaw mix and the cold (but ultimately adding to the spiciness) mustard sauce. The mustard here doesn’t have the disgusting tang or aftertaste of your typical mustard (as you can tell...I am not usually a fan) and raises the hot dog contraption to a whole new level.

For the second year in a row, I skipped the cheese section because it wasn’t as inviting a menu as before and because this place was bonkers busy throughout the entire day (Last year was because of limited funds). I skipped Germany since they specialize mainly on beer and I have yet to meet a beer I liked (Guinness is the closest). I made my way to Poland and ordered their pierogi/kielbasa combo. While the sausage here was decent, it had to go up against South Korea----never stood a chance. The pierogi was a hearty dosage of potato and sour cream that ultimately delivers a light, short amount of happiness.

Skipping Italy (Their ravioli is a gem every year, but I wanted to try some new stuff) I made my way to the American pavilion and found their Hops and Barley market. Of course the American food stand would be the most expensive…..of course. I went with the lobster roll (At 7.50, you must really love lobster to fork over this amount) that contained lemon-herb mayonnaise. The small hoagie-like roll here was quite good, containing an awkward-yet-tasty lemon zest while complimenting the butter-infested lobster and fresh bread. Nonetheless, it hurts a lot to nearly hit $10 for one item in one kiosk knowing there are dozens of other options to investigate.

P.S. Only in Disney....only in Disney...

I am protesting the Florida section because although I like the idea (and will forever vouch for a permanent Florida section in the World Showcase since Disney is IN Florida and few people truly, madly, deeply know this state) the fact that there’s no grouper (Hands-down the most popular fish in the state), no key lime pie, no gator, no rock shrimp, and no orange-related food item makes this stand not really….Florida. Their food and wine might be good, who knows? But the lack of grouper upsets me.

I usually skipped Japan since their menu was not as inspiring or daring as they could potentially be (California Roll and Tuna Roll…really?) this year they have the teriyaki hand chicken roll. Maybe they had it last year, I don’t remember. Either way I decided to give this roll---the one roll that isn’t as true-blue Japanese as your usual authentic dish—a shot. What we have here is a very big hearty roll of rice with spectacular succulent pieces of chicken inside and a nice soft glaze on top. It was simple, yet worked so well. The tender fresh chicken worked well with the rice and the sauce never overpowered the whole thing. Good roll, but if you really want good rolls and good sushi, make your way to one of their sit-down restaurants---especially the weakly-titled Tokyo Dining.

Morocco was the most disappointing one as their Harissa chicken roll turned out to be just a glorified egg roll that didn’t taste, feel, or even resemble Moroccan food. Very disappointed. I will report nothing further. To forget the disappointment I got an Epcot classic that is available year-round, the orange slush infused with rum in the French Pavilion. I am not a drinker, but this is by far my favorite drink Epcot has to offer—with the Mexican-drink-too-many-of-me-and-you-will-die margaritas a nice close second place.

Belgium was the other mild disappointment of my Food and Wine experience. Belgium offers the longest wait since their waffles (which dominates the entire food menu) takes a couple minutes to cook. So if dozens of people order the same thing—you are in for a wait. I ordered the Belgium waffles with chocolate and whipped cream combined with their alcoholic coffee drink. After the extensive wait, what I got was a waffle that didn’t taste exotic, didn’t taste unique, and came off as any ol’ waffle you can find practically anywhere in Orlando. I knew I was in for a disappointment when I saw that they were using an old small waffle maker to make the food. The spiked coffee however was legit, as it tasted like your usual ice coffee except smoother, easier to digest, and with that extra kick.

Ireland removed their chocolate lava cake, which was also a total disappointment. So there goes that. But of course Canada’s cheddar cheese soup and salmon will always have my highest recommendation and will always find its place in this festival. Expect to spend money in Canada, no matter how much you may try to resist. Then there’s the rather-random Hawaii making its second appearance and still delivering the goods. But the Refreshment Port has a fun menu involving fried shrimp, fries, and pineapple sauce to work with the seafood. But at a near-$10 price, I went with the orange dole whip (why no pineapple dole whip?!?!?) with the crème de cacao white—which turned out to be alcohol. Great orange ice cream mixed with liquor that tastes like spiked chocolate? Count me in.

Bottom Line: This is the truth: The Food and Wine Festival is the best of Disney’s special events throughout the year and it’s located in the best of the four Disney parks. Epcot and Food make an amazing partner, and the 2013 edition is no different. While there aren’t that many changes, why fix near-perfection? Why toy with a recipe that has worked for years? That being said, I honestly wish for a better Belgium stand, a more accurate Florida kiosk and more Caribbean/Hispanic representation (For the Hispanics there’s the Mexico/Argentina combination—but we are missing all of the islands, Central America, and more South American influence).

But before you dwell on the negative that I posted on the review, there are still the classics I rarely touched upon because their quality has been established and stapled with the festival (Canada, Argentina, China, and Greece). Then mix that with some newbies (Brazil’s new items, South Korea’s new items, Scotland) with the entire ambiance and the plethora of activities, demonstrations, shows, and things to do and a good time practically guaranteed. Look at all the food I had and it wound up costing me just a little north of $75--even if there's much more food I have yet to sample.

The World Showcase is amazing as it is with the great blend of culture, food, and entertainment; so with Food and Wine it’s the Showcase on steroids and speed. If you live in Florida and have enough money saved up, you are required to attend at least one afternoon/evening here at Epcot. Lots of good food, plenty of good alcohol, and lots of good times await you. The 2013 edition is no different. Show up with an empty stomach, lots of money, some bravery, and you are in for an amazing time from beginning to end.


Final Verdict: Highly Recommend. Again.

Click Here for the 2012 Edition

Epcot's Food and Wine Festival
Lake Buena Vista, Fl
Available Now Through November

Big Italy: The Tasty Alternative to Your Typical Pizzeria

So pizza is arguably the greatest food ever invented. There is no way a person can dislike the heavenly delight of cheese, sauce, and whatever topping you desire. The thought of it does not compute. That being said, independent restaurants that are run on pizzas have a tougher time standing out because it is so hard to screw up the food. Mediocre places like Papa Johns, Dominoes, and nearly every single Florida pizzeria that contains the word New York still manages success because it is too difficult to make pizza unbearable. To stand out, you really need to deliver something drastically different.


Big Italy just might be that cure.


Big Italy is a pizzeria that has a legit lunch/dinner menu that boasts all your classic pasta dishes and over 100, that’s right, over 100 kinds of pizzas to choose from. With the most diverse pizza menu I have seen in Central Florida, you can dine here multiple times and get very different experiences each visit. They range from your classics (BBQ pizza, pepperoni pizza) to the quite unique (Gaeta – tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, hot sausage and cherry tomatoes, Rimini – tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and french fries) to the “wait…what?” choices (Rieti – tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, baby arugula, tuna in olive oil and hard boiled eggs).

What hurts this place is the location. The interior is nice, full of nice Italian décor and television screens explaining Italian customs and phrases---but the building is part of arguably the ugliest cluster of businesses in the infamous International Drive. I went with the classic mozzarella sticks and then ordered the Possilipo—which is shrimp, mozzarella cheese, and arugula. Each meal comes with bread and an Italian dip, which are nice starters.

The mozzarella sticks are just a classic snack in any restaurant. The ones here are no different, as they contain plenty of cheese, and plenty of spice. But the big show was the pizza. They are always 12 inches, which makes them good enough to share with another individual, but not too big that it will destroy you if you are alone.

I had already enjoyed their pepperoni pizza before, so they need to also deliver on one of their different pizzas if they want to stand a chance in the street so full of eatery options it literally contains four T.G.I. Fridays. This pizza contained a plethora of shrimp but had even more cheese and even more arugula. While I would have definitely preferred more shrimp, the combination with the cheese and greens made it a winner. All their pizzas are a thin crust, so it’s not too much bread and has more focus on the toppings themselves. Nothing was ever overbearing, from the crust to the sauce to the cheese. It’s light pizza at its finest. But if you are looking for heavy-hitter thick pies, look away from here.

The dessert however became the surprise highlight of the lunch. While their pizzas are certainly good (and with many others I still have to try) their gelatos are absolutely amazing. I had their tiramisu gelato and it was rich beyond control, and was coated with a layer of sugar that adds a light crunchy texture to the concoction. I definitely look forward to having this again.

Bottom Line: I can safely declare this one of the better pizza spots in Central Florida as Big Italy offers an extremely diverse menu with plenty of good food and done with prices that aren’t overbearing. If you are looking for pizza that is outside the box, then this is your place. While it doesn’t have the emotional staying power of the better Florida pizza joints, Big Italy has plenty of reasons to warrant your visit.


Final Verdict: Recommend

Big Italy
5700 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819

The Beefy King: Good Blast to Orlando's Simpler Past

The Beefy King has been had quite a history. Started out as a very popular joint, became a franchise, died as a franchise, and the one last remaining location happens to be the original---and it’s still hella popular. After years of passing the place I finally decided to stop by the classic in the middle of the Milk District and see why it has survived for so long.

The answer is simple: quality and speed.

I took about a few seconds too long and they right away knew it was my first time. Before I knew it, I had ordered a roast beef sandwich, their signature tater tots, and a Coke. Before I knew it, I was seated and ready to eat without even realizing the ketchup and bbq sauce was lying around waiting for me.

This place serves the food quick, but the temperature of the food remained hot, so it’s not like it was hanging around waiting for a customer. But people came and went in a rapid pace, especially on the drive-thru. Being in the outskirts of the business area of Downtown Orlando, this speed is required to continue thriving in modern-day society.

And delivers it does. The sandwich is simple: roast beef, cheese, bread. They steam the bread using the same heat used to cook the roast beef so that way you don’t get that putrid mix of warm meat in a cold bun. This simple technique does wonders as there is some roast beef flavor with the bread alone, and that’s not including the moist, scrumptious, and thick hearty portion of roast beef that comes with every sandwich. Although they offer other meats like pastrami, good roast beef sandwiches are a rarity in this state—and Beefy King delivers indeed.

The tater tots brought me straight back to the Waterbridge Elementary School, where my days of .40 cent lunches were met with classic tater tots that you just don’t see in enough restaurants. Rounding out the experience was the discovery of their bbq sauce, which is far lighter than you would ever expect. The ketchup was thicker than the sauce for crying out loud---which results in a smoky flavor that never threatens to overpower the food it’s complimenting.

Bottom Line: The Beefy King is a fast-paced classic that cranks out quality roast beef sandwiches for those that want good food on the go or done very, very quickly. It has all the qualities of a good-natured fast-food joint: quick, cheap, filling. It is a good blast to the past as it contains old-school décor and simplistic sandwiches at its finest.


Final Verdict: Recommend


The Beefy King
424 N Bumby Ave
Orlando, FL 32803