Welcome back, Disney Foodies!
Ready for Round Two of some delicious reviews? Earlier this week I gave you a tasty look into the opening of the first ever Epcot International Festival of the Holidays. (If you need to catch up, click here for PART ONE.) Today we are going to continue our little tour around the world and show you more of what this awesome Festival has to offer. Last I saw you, we were just finishing up our ham and pecan pie in the American Adventure, right? OK. Loosen that belt, and let's keep going... (the first one is a bit out of order, but I forgot to put it in Part One, so here it is:
L'Chaim Holiday Kitchen
(Between France and Morocco)
- What did we try? Pastrami on Rye
- How would I describe it? A pastrami sandwich with mustard, pickle and served on rye. Pretty straightforward.
- How was the portion/value? For $4.75, I'd say the price is fair. Easily shareable, or it can be enjoyed by one husband.
- What letter grade would we give it? B I did not have this one. The Hubs was allll about it though. He thought it was a good amount of meat and the overall sandwich was fresh, warm and tasty. I happen to not like pastrami. Or rye. Oh and I HATE mustard. And dill pickles.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? I certainly won't, but The Hubs said he would consider it.
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| Pastrami on Rye |
- What did we try? Black and White Cookie
- How would I describe it? A vanilla cakey-cookie with chocolate and vanilla icings.
- How was the portion/value? $2 was just OK. Not a very big cookie, but about inline with the rest of the Cookie Stroll cookies.
- What letter grade would we give it? B Good. Decent. Nothing thrilling, but the cookie was soft and the icings were tasty.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Nah.
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| Black and White Cookie |
- What did we try? Egg Cream
- How would I describe it? A chocolatish soda?
- How was the portion/value? $3.50 was a lot for this little cup of creamy seltzer water.
- What letter grade would we give it? D Now, I know what an egg cream should be. I used to get them in an ice cream parlor in Boston and I loved them. Kinda like a creamy chocolate soda. This was not an egg cream. My drink was basically seltzer water with a creamy slightly chocolatey, barely sweet finish. I am pretty sure the person who made mine just didn't do it right though.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? No way.
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| Egg Cream.... kinda. |
Tuscany Holiday Kitchen
(Italy)
- What did we try? Cavatappi Al Quattro Formaggi
- How would I describe it? Pasta in a creamy, cheesy, delicious sauce.
- How was the portion/value? $8 is steep for this portion of pasta. It's good, but not THAT good.
- What letter grade would we give it? A- So really the only reason this didn't earn an actual A is because last year's carbonara was the bomb, and this one had a lot to live up to. It was very, very good... still cheesy, creamy and flavorful... but they took away the bacon. That's not fair.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? As much as I did like it, I wouldn't pay $8 again.
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| Cavatappi Al Quattro Formaggi |
- What did we try? Bacio al Cioccolato
- How would I describe it? A warm chocolate hazelnut lava cake dream come true.
- How was the portion/value? So this baby is $10, but soooo worth it.
- What letter grade would we give it? A+ Winner of my favorite dessert of the Festival. It just slightly edged out the Buche de Noel in France. If you have ever been on a Disney Cruise and had chocolate souffle in Palo, this is better than that! It's a little chocolate lava cake, filled with warm chocolate and hazelnut goodness and topped with cream and berries. Bellissimo!
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Even though I would hate to shell out another $10, I might for this beauty.
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| Bacio al Cioccolato |
- What did we try? Crespelle de Mele
- How would I describe it? Fried dough with fresh apples in it, in a sticky sweet sauce.
- How was the portion/value? Woah. The Italian food was expensive. $78 got us two fritters that weren't particularly big. I don't think it was a good deal.
- What letter grade would we give it? B- Flavor and texture-wise, these were OK. Nothing amazing, but decent.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? No, thanks.
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| Crespelle de Mele |
Bavaria and Prost Holiday Kitchens
(Germany)
- What did we try? Black Forest Roulade
- How would I describe it? A chocolate cake roll with cherries
- How was the portion/value? $4.25 isn't terrible based on the size. Easily sharable.
- What letter grade would we give it? B- Meh. It was OK. Not great but OK. The cake was not very chocolatey but it did have a nice coating of chocolate shavings on it and some cherry filling inside. The cherry whipped cream was the best part.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Not worth it.
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| Black Forest Roulade |
- What did we try? Cheese Fondue
- How would I describe it? A bread bowl filled with melted cheese and served with steamed carrots, zucchini and mini potatoes.
- How was the portion/value? $8.25 seems like a lot, but this thing could easily be shared among 2-3 people, or no one would blame you if you made it a little meal for one.
- What letter grade would we give it? A+ One of my very favorites from this Festival. This cheese fondue was SO good. It was sharp and creamy, and the veggies were perfect with it. The best part though was eating the bowl itself. SO GOOD!
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Absolutely. In fact, I would like it daily.
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| Cheese Fondue |
- What did we try? Peppermint Sugar Cookie
- How would I describe it? A basic sugar cookie with white chocolate drizzle and candy cane shaped sprinkles.
- How was the portion/value? $2 was OK, but again, the cookie could have been larger.
- What letter grade would we give it? B- An OK sugar cookie but I didn't get much peppermint flavor at all.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Nope.
Shanghai Holiday Kitchen
(China)
- What did we try? Mongolian Beef Bao Bun
- How would I describe it? Marinated beef and veggies on a pillowy, fluffy bun, with a fortune cookie on the side.
- How was the portion/value? $6.50 seemed high for this little bun.
- What letter grade would we give it? B+ The meat had a nice flavor, and the bun was so soft and fluffy! Other than being pretty messy to eat, this was a winner.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Probably not. It was good, but I'd rather try something else next time.
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| Mongolian Beef Bao Bun |
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen
(Mexico)
Holiday Sweets and Treats
(World Showcase Plaza)
- What did we try? Peppermint Sundae
- How would I describe it? Chocolate soft serve with whipped cream and candy cane pieces
- How was the portion/value? $5.25 is way too high for what is pretty much plain ice cream.
- What letter grade would we give it? C Plain. Super plain. I mean, it was OK soft serve, but it would have been SO much better with hot fudge. It needed hot fudge!
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Nope. I'll hold out for ice cream from France.
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| Peppermint Sundae |
- What did we try? Holiday Tree Sugar Cookie
- How would I describe it? A thin shortbread cookie with lots of frosting and sprinkles.
- How was the portion/value? I didn't mind paying $4 for this cookie. It's huge!
- What letter grade would we give it? B The best of the cookies! Of course, this one, (go figure), does NOT count toward the Cookie Stroll. My advice? Skip the Cookie Stroll and just get this one!
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? It is very possible.
Feast of the Three Kings
(World Showcase Plaza/Caribbean Themed)
- What did we try? Arepas
- How would I describe it? A cornmeal pancake with white cheese melted on it.
- How was the portion/value? Two small arepas for $4.50. Not terrible.....If I liked them.
- What letter grade would we give it? C These didn't taste bad but they were super plain. The savory corn disks reminded me of little fluffy pancakes. The melted cheese was good, but it all just kinda tasted like a plain nacho chip that only got some cheese on it and missed the rest of the toppings.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Nope. Boring.
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| Arepas |
- What did we try? Tres Leches Rice Pudding
- How would I describe it? A cinnamony rice pudding.
- How was the portion/value? $4.25 for a little cup full. Yes, it's shareable, but the portion isn't large so I think this is over-priced.
- What letter grade would we give it? B The pudding was cool and had a nice flavor to it, but it could have used more spice and a little less sugar. The toasted pumpkin seeds gave it a nice crunch.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? I don't think so. It was OK, but not at the top of my list.
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| Tres Leches Rice Pudding |
- What did we try? Red and Green Chocolate Chip Cookie
- How would I describe it? A thick, chunky chocolate chip cookie with sprinkles.
- How was the portion/value? This cookie was bigger than the other Cookie Stroll Cookies and a better value for the $2.
- What letter grade would we give it? A- The second best of the Cookie Stroll cookies. Fresh, chocolatey and delicious. The minus is only because it's super messy. My kids had chocolate on their hands, arms, clothes, ME....
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? I might. As long as I have wipes with me to clean up!
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| Red and Green Chocolate Chip Cookie |
- What did we try? Coquito (non-alcoholic)
- How would I describe it? Frozen, coconuty eggnog.
- How was the portion/value? $4.25 for a small cup is a lot, but so worth it!
- What letter grade would we give it? A- If you are a fan of coconut, you'll love this tropical nog. I would skip most of the festival and get a larger glass of this, if it were an option.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Si!
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| Coquito |
Yukon Holiday Kitchen
(Canada)
- What did we try? Maple Buche De Noel
- How would I describe it? A rolled gingerbread cake with maple icing, meringue topping, candied nuts and cranberry drizzle.
- How was the portion/value? $4.50 was reasonable. This was a good size.
- What letter grade would we give it? A+ Another festival favorite! We LOVED this cake! Most rolled cakes are dry, but this one was light and moist. It had a nice gingerbread flavor, and the maple tied in nicely. The toasted meringue topping was delicious and the nuts added a nice crunch. I wish they served this all year round!
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? YAS!
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| Maple Buche de Noel |
- What did we try? Frozen Coffee (Non-alcoholic)
- How would I describe it? A sweetened and creamed frozen coffee.
- How was the portion/value? For $4.50, I'd much rather get a full sized coffee drink from Joffrey's.
- What letter grade would we give it? B+ This tasted more like a coffee shake to me than a frozen coffee. (A delicious coffee shake, but a shake nonetheless.) My 6 year old loved it! I thought it was good but I'd rather something full size from Joffrey's or Starbucks.
- Will we get it again, when we return to the festival? Nope. Going to Starbucks for my Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.
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| Frozen Coffee and Maple Buche de Noel |
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So, there ya have it! That's everything we managed to try at Festival of the Holidays so far. This year's Festival is just as fun, festive and flavorful as last year's!
Oh, and if you're thinking, "Now I must plan a trip so I can eat all of the delicious food", contact the agents here at Kingdom Konsultant Travel, who would be happy to hook you up with a sweet holiday journey.
Oh, and if you're thinking, "Now I must plan a trip so I can eat all of the delicious food", contact the agents here at Kingdom Konsultant Travel, who would be happy to hook you up with a sweet holiday journey.
Until next time, kiddos, have a magical week!
-Jenn
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