OneLtlSpark
Registered: March 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 27
|
|
Review Date: Mon November 2, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
Great info about wine
|
|
Cons:
|
|
|
My guy and I attended the Food & Wine Pairing at Morocco's Restaurant Marrakesh on 10/27. This was the first "event" we'd attended at the festival, and won't be our last.
We were served three full glasses of wine (two red, one white) with a corresponding tasting menu of Moroccan selections. The wine was quite good, and our presenter offered a great deal of information about the wines, grapes, vineyards and flavors. He was entertaining, but not obtrusive to our enjoyment of our food.
The food complimented the wines perfectly, though I suspect it was cooked banquet style - which did leave some servings cold or over cooked. (My guy's chicken dish, for example, was dry while mine was perfect.)
Overall, however, the event was interesting and a fun change of pace from the usual booth samples at the festival.
|
|
elainep
Registered: October 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 62
|
|
Review Date: Fri October 23, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 7
|
|
Pros:
|
Interesting food presentations
|
|
Cons:
|
A long meal with not-so-interesting wines
|
|
On Tuesday, October 13th, I attended the Signature Dinner at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney, featuring Chef Kevin Dundon’s “Delightful Desirous Delectational Doings.” I arrived just after 6:00 p.m. (the event was scheduled to start at 6:15), checked in and was told that I could wait in the bar and someone would come and get me with it was time. After a few minutes, a parade of people passed by me and headed toward the back of the restaurant, so I just followed them and sat at a table with 3 other couples, all very enjoyable company.
Just after we were seated, we were offered our choice of wine (a chardonnay or cabernet) or beer (Guinness, I believe). I got a chardonnay, which was from Penfolds, an Australian winery. Kevin Dundon, the chef, made the rounds and stopped at each table, explaining that our dinner was going to be a mix of fine dining and family style—I liked the fact that he took the time to visit with all of the guests.
Our first course was a Sea Pea, a pan-seared scallop on a minted pea puree, paired with a Hogue Riesling. The scallop was very good and the pea puree wasn’t too “minty.” Next came a Teapot Tickle. We were each served a cup filled about a third of the way with asparagus and potatoes. Then, a server came by with a teapot of hot broth and poured it over the vegetables. An interesting way of serving the soup, but I was expecting more flavor. It was paired with a Tucher Wheatbeer, an unusual combination and one I wasn’t sure I liked. A Shepherd’s Spoon came next: it was the house special shepherd’s pie served in a square shotglass-size glass. Very tasty.
A Penfolds cabernet was poured for all the guests and then came the big presentation of the entrée: a Pig Parade, two roast suckling pigs for the party. The chef plated the meal for each guest and served it with a slice of Lord of the Lamb, a crown of lamb chop. Side dishes of Roasted Root Vegetables and Ma’s Sunday Roast Spuds were served family style at each table. This was the third time Food & Wine event I’d attended in four days and the third time I was served lamb—it was almost comical. But, I must say that I liked the lamb chops at the Regional Dinner in France much better. And, I’m not much of a roast pig fan. But, I liked Ma’s Spuds a lot—I ate every last one that was remaining on the serving platter.
For dessert, we enjoyed a Trifle Sinful, which was composed of a kitchen-baked Swiss roll, Gran Marnier, berries, custard and cream. It was absolutely delicious, very creamy. The dish was paired with a Bunratty Mead, which was a bit too sweet for me.
Dinner was long—about 2-1/2 hours, way too long in my opinion. I’m not sure I’d attend another Signature Dinner here (the price tag was $115), but I think I’d like to try the restaurant for lunch or dinner or maybe even just drinks. It looks like a very cool place and there’s live entertainment.
|
|
elainep
Registered: October 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 62
|
|
Review Date: Fri October 23, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Wonderful food, wine and ambiance
|
|
Cons:
|
Can't think of a thing
|
|
I celebrated my birthday at the Regional Lunch at Bistro de Paris in France at Epcot on October 11. The meal was scheduled to begin at noon—I arrived about 10 minutes before and checked in at the podium, where I was directed to just go up the stairs. Once there, I was seated at a table for six with a “local” couple, two lady friends from Boston and a gentleman from Virginia whose wife doesn’t drink—she drives! They were a fun group.
Our lunch was to feature wines from the Cote du Rhone region of France and our speaker was Michael Rugers, a French wine specialist. He was very knowledgeable and extremely entertaining. He even stopped at every table for a chat, which I thought was a nice touch.
Our first wine sampling was a 2008 J. L. Columbo Cape Bleue Rose, served with an amuse bouche: a goat cheese tart. A very nice pairing and our glasses were refilled three times! What a way to start the day.
Next came an Ahi Tuna Tartare Mediterranean Style, with an Avocado Mousse and Lime. Delicious! This course was paired with a 2007 Viogner la Violette. Another good pairing—I had two glasses of that wine.
Our entree was a Seared Lamb Chop, with Polenta and Ratatouille, paired with two wines: a 2007 Cotes du Rhone, Les Abeilles and a 2004 Cornas Grand Cru, Les Ruchets. Both wines were wonderful and went nicely with the lamb chops, which were better than the ones I had the day before at the Food & Wine Pairing at Italy. If you wanted refills on either of the wines, no problem.
Dessert was a Raspberry Napoleon with Vanilla Sauce and a Strawberry Sorbet, paired with a 2003 Muscat de Rivesaltes, Les Saintes. The napoleon was a little difficult to eat—the crust was very crispy—and the wine was a bit sweet for me, but we all enjoyed it.
If this event is held again next year, it’s a definite “don’t miss” for me. It was worth every penny of the $95 price tag—great food and wine and terrific company!
|
|
elainep
Registered: October 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 62
|
|
Review Date: Fri October 23, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Good food and wine at a great value
|
|
Cons:
|
Less than generous wine pours
|
|
I attended the Food & Wine Pairing lunch at Tutto Italia in Epcot’s Italy on Saturday, October 10th. I arrived about 15 minutes prior to the 2:30 start time and waited in the foyer in the restaurant, along with what looked like everyone else who was supposed to be attending the event. At right around 2:30, we were led to a private dining room where I was seated with a group from a suburb of my hometown of Chicago along with another couple from Indiana—all Midwesterners.
Our host was the restaurant manager, who was very Italian and very entertaining. The representative from the Sartori vineyard wasn’t as comfortable with public speaking—he seemed to be reading from notes. But, he was knowledgeable in one-on-one discussions. And, he did give away small bottles of Rosa Regale to 4 guests who asked questions!
The first course was an Insalata Caprese paired with a Sartori Pinot Grigio. It was a nice starter—the addition of sea salt added a bit of crunchiness. Next came the pasta course: Cannelloni Al “Forno”, two cheese-stuffed pasta rolls topped with cheese and a light tomato sauce—delicious. The dish was paired with a Ferdi “Super White”. If the meal ended there, I would’ve been happy—we’d already had plenty to eat.
Our entrée was Grilled Lamb Chops with a Sour Cherry Balsamic Compote, paired with Regolo Rosso Veronese. Lamb wouldn’t be the first item I’d select as on entrée, but the 3 we were served were very nicely prepared and the cherry “sauce” didn’t overpower them at all.
As we were finishing our entrée, a representative from the Taste of Puglia spoke to us about olive oil. Did you know that olive oil doesn’t like the sun so it should be stored in a dark bottle, not a clear one like we see in the grocery store? And, olive oil should smell like fresh cut grass. She passed around a glass of olive oil and that’s exactly what it smelled like. Fascinating.
The meal was topped off by a Lemon Semifreddo paired with, as always, Banfi’s Rosa Regale. It was light and creamy, a perfect dessert on a hot day.
This is the third year I’ve attended the Food & Wine pairing in Italy and I’ve yet to be disappointed. For me, it’s one of the best values at the Festival--$55 for a four-course meal with a different wine for each course. And, the portions are much larger than “taste” size. However, I did notice that the wine wasn’t flowing as generously as in previous years. We didn’t receive any refills and our glasses were removed as soon as we finished what had been poured. A minor complaint for an otherwise wonderful experience.
|
|
DanDVC92
Registered: October 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 28
|
|
Review Date: Fri October 23, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Nice Time--Good Food--Great Experience
|
|
Cons:
|
-----
|
|
Hi, my Wife Dolores and I went to the "Celebrating Family & Friends in the Kitchen" with Guest Chef PATTI LABELLE on October 9th, and we had a great time, it was 2 hours long(10am till noon), and we enjoyed every bit of it, from appetizer, a cabbage shuffle, to entree, a great beef brisket dish, and finally the dessert, a chocolate mousse. We received a different glass of wine with each dish, Ms LaBelle was very friendly and gracious. Overall it was well worth the $115.00 we paid each, and would definitely do it again---Dan DVC92
|
|
waterlillies
Registered: May 2008
Posts: 7
|
|
Review Date: Wed October 21, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Perfect wine pairing with fabulous food
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
My husband and I went to Signature Dining at the Portobello Trattoria with Tony Manutano on October 1, 2009. We were looking forward to this because he is the favorite chef of President Obama in Chicago. The President's favorite meal by Chef Tony is the grilled sea scallops with mushrooms and baby greens. It was served as the first entree. If you like scallops, this dish was mouth watering delicious and was perfectly paired with a nice Chardonnay. As you entered the dining area you were offered a glass of champagne. Antipasto was served buffet style on an outdoor patio. It was a nice assortment of cheeses, different types of ham and fruit. I was disappointed by the servers that did not immediately assist a disabled couple on the patio area. I waited a few minutes to see if they could help themselves somehow, but nothing was happening. Anyway, I helped them myself and they were sweet and grateful for the assistance. From the patio you moved to the main seating area. Seating was not assigned and you could sit anywhere. I don't think there was a bad seat anywhere. We sat with four other couples at our table. The conversation was lively and fun. It was interesting hearing what others had already experienced at the festival. We met Chef Tony before the the evening had begun. We were one of the first people there and Chef Tony just happened to be around. He graciously took a picture with us. He is a nice, humble man who just happens to have great taste. The second entree was cheese stuffed pasta pillows with a brown butter sauce. It was paired with a nice red wine (Santi Solane Valpolicello). As each entree was served and the wine poured Chef Tony would talk about the entree and then a wine expert would describe the tastes that complimented the food. The last entree was grilled New York strip steak with white beans in olive oil. It was served with another red wine. I am not usually fond of red wines but these were wonderful. Dessert was a panna cotta served with local honey and fresh mango. A dessert wine followed. Chef Tony had his latest book on sale, "Wine and Bar Food". We bought the book and our server had Chef Tony come right to our table to sign the book. The evening had lots of wonderful, flavorful food, complimentary wines and great conversation. What more can a grown up ask for?
|
|
arielwatcher
Registered: April 2007
Posts: 54
|
|
Review Date: Tue October 13, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
|
|
Pros:
|
since we paid we didn't waste time waiting
|
|
Cons:
|
see below
|
|
IF we bought the day before we got a DVC discount and paid $5.ea. If you bought the day of the event you paid $8. regardless of your status.
I rate the speakers a 10, the process of getting the tickets a 4.
We attended the Tequila seminar and enjoyed three generous pours which we saw great differences in them. Very knowledgeable and good speaker.
The Jim Beam speaker was good, the pours were a bit smaller than the tequila.
Here's my rant......
The Phone # on the brochure did not connect us with ANYONE who could make the reservation. It took me over an hour to get tickets for 1 event because the pavillion did not take cash or a room charge, only major credit cards (locked in my room safe) and I returned to the room to make the call with my CC. When it was the morning of the event and I was finally connected to someone who could take my order they wanted to charge me $8 for something I could buy the day before for $5. I explained the issues I had with the concierge not knowing anything, etc. and we were called back taken care of.
We attended an Italian tasting for the wines of Puglia. We got to the tasting and were seated. The wine poured was literally about 2 tablespoons in each of the 3 glasses.
We were seated and after the host being anxious for many moments we were told the speaker was detained in the World Showcase, we were graciously told we could drink the wine and were given tickets for another event.
The King Winery was a wonderful speaker as well as nice wine (Washington/Oregon wines) Again the pours were incredibly small.
We were asked to record our issues with buying tickets by Dianne at the event and we did.
|
|
waterlillies
Registered: May 2008
Posts: 7
|
|
Review Date: Tue October 6, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Heavenly desserts
|
|
Cons:
|
felt a little crowded at the tables
|
|
My husband and I went to Sweet Sundays with Rick Griggs on September 27, 2009. Unfortunately we were late for the event and had to sit farthest away from the demonstration. I'm not sure if we would have sat there anyway, but I would have rather been there early. There were several large screens where a chef's eye view of the dessert preparation were available. There was a very tasty breakfast buffet before the dessert demonstrations. Egg dishes, breakfast meats, fruits and breads were available to eat. A Martini and Rossi Prosecco (dry sparkling wine)was served with breakfast. With a little appetite left we were served Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante to drink with the desserts-just perfect . I did not like the carmamel popcorn with nutella crunch. The popcorn was much too salty for my taste, but the chocolate crunch underneath was scrumptious. The Valrhona chocolate souffle cake was heavenly . It is a flourless cake and tastes like a delicious whipped fudge. It was served with strawberries. The last dessert, citrus-cocnut panna cotta with yuzu granita, had the most intriging flavors and even though I am a chocaholic, this dessert was my favorite. The preparation for this dessert was as complex as the flavors-incredibly delicious. It was served with an edible orchid. Presentation is important and this dessert was beautiful. There was a personable host to the event who added colorful commentary to the affair. She came into the group for questions. We learned most people prefer red desserts. We were given a booklet about wines, a champagne cork remover and a pencil and paper to write comments about our experience.
|
|
muffy0110
Registered: November 2007
Location: leicester,ma
Posts: 2
|
|
Review Date: Sun October 4, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
The food for the first PTTS was awesome. I'm not going to review on the food. Was not crazy about the theme. Did not think I would enjoy the food as much as in the past yrs-I was wrong.
My review:
The Wine View Lounge-worth every penny. I loved MY SEAT and MY TABLE. 14 yrs of standing and searching OVER. They got me champagne. None on the floor this year, just wine. Which I like but prefer champagne. WDW did this top-notch. Maybe Deb is still deciding if it was worth the money. Within the first 5 minutes, I knew it was.
|
|
disneyjean
Registered: November 2008
Posts: 5
|
|
Review Date: Mon November 3, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
peek into the life a an interesting character
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
I attended the Kitchen Conversation with Jeff Henderson. I picked this particular one as I am interested in Chef Jeff's story. I was Not disappointed. The format of these "conversations" encourages each Chef to talk about their life in and out of the Kitchen.
In the beginning the chef sits with Pam our intrepid moderator (she is everywhere and so very good at keeping things interesting) and just talks. It was obvious from the beginning that Chef Jeff and Pam had done this before. The conversation flowed and was very interesting - a great mix of how Chef turned his life around and how he works now. It was riveting.
Then Chef prepared a wonderful dish of striped Bass and carmelized cabbage (and he added fingerling potatoes). The process was easy to follow and I really felt that I could go home and make the dish.
Our Vintner Chris Benzinger of Benzinger wineries was as much fun and as informative as Chef Jeff and there was lots of great interplay between all the principles. The wine and the food were perfect together - a match made in heaven.
After the food preparation, Chef answered questions and we did get more information about his Chef Jeff project on Food Network. It was moving to see his total devotion to his work of helping kids at risk turn their life around.
Oh and by the way - I laughed out loud in a public place a few days later when I read in Chef Jeff's biography Cooked that the striped bass dish was one of the courses that got him the job in Vegas. I would have hired you too...
These Kitchen Conversations are a great view into the life of a Chef and how their style grows. I look forwad to doing one again next year.
|
|
mdsiamese
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 4
|
|
Review Date: Tue October 28, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Variety of Food
|
|
Cons:
|
none
|
|
Party For the Senses - Oct 25th. This was my second time at a PFS, and this one was lightyears better than the last one! I loved it. The variety of items was incredible. There were many things that I would never have tried off a menu but because they were in small samples, I tried them and found new taste favorites.
My favorite item by far was Terry Letson's boneless lamb tednerloin with herbes de provence on a crisp four-cheese polenta crouton, with goat cheese ratatouille ragout in fresh thyme oil. The goat cheese ratatouille was a taste sensation that made me think of the critic in the movie! Seriously. I am not a vegie person, nor a lamb fan. But this ratatouille was outstanding. I was very critical of the idea when I saw the dish, but when I sat down and tasted it, my reaction was just like the critic in Ratatouille. Wow!
My favorite desert was the pumpkin brioche by Ciril Hitz. Favorite wine was the Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee, although the Piper Heidseick Cuvee Sublime was a close 2nd.
Other things on the menu were rabbit, duck, lamb, pork, veal, beef, salmon, ostrich, quail egg, and elk. Yep, I ate elk! Very gamey, but tender.
Will definitely go to this again next year!
|
|
emmylil
Registered: October 2008
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 3
|
|
Review Date: Tue October 21, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
everything!
|
|
Cons:
|
nothing
|
|
My DH & I attended the Party for the Senses on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008. This was our first time at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival and we skipped the Eat to the Beat concert in order to line up early, as was suggested by several posters on this site. The "party" starts at 6:30 pm, and we got to the large gates (where you wait) at around 5 pm. We were NOT the first people there, but were definitely close enough up front to assure we would get a sit-down table inside. They open check-in around 5:15 pm, and each person must show up and provide a drivers license for verification. They give you a wrist band and then you wait for the gates to open. Funny thing is that when they open the gates at 6:15, they let you get a plate & glass, but then you must wait inside at a curtain for another 10-15 minutes. The cast members will tell you they want everyoen to have the "oohhh, aaahhh factor" when they open the curtains.
As soon as the curtains were opened, everyone rushed in to get a seated table. You will hear almost all of the cast members proclaim to "please walk!" as the stampede progresses.
We were fortunate enough to get a table in front of one of the 3 stages. I highly suggest this as it gives you time to view the acts as you enjoy your food & alcohol.
We shared a table with 2 other couples and each of us would take turns leaving the table so that the others could go grab more food and/or drink. My DH & I would take turns grabbing 2-3 dishes of food and then coming back to share so that we could sample almost every dish instead of both of us trying the same dish and getting full before it was all over.
the food and alcohol run aplenty! Don't worry about them running out because even after they asked us to leave informing us that the party was over, we were able to fill our wine glasses with an assortment of truffles! they will give you a plastic cup for your wine that you are still drinking as you leave, however you will not be allowed to leave Epcot with any wine in your glass.
The foods my DH & I thought were the best were the various grilled ostrich, buffalo & duck dishes they had. However there was also a very good pumpkin pasta! I consider myself a cheese fan, but was actually disappointed with the variety of cheeses available. I thought the cheese from Spain offered at the Mouse Trap kiosk was much better!
The performance acts were amazing and my DH & I are definitely looking forward to a future trip to Disney at this time of year, so we can catch the "Party" again!
|
|
elainep
Registered: October 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 62
|
|
Review Date: Tue October 21, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Wonderful food and wine, generous portions and a great value for the money
|
|
Cons:
|
Can't think of a single one
|
|
I had a reservation for the Food & Wine Pairing at Tutto Italia in Italy on Saturday, October 4 and arrived about ten minutes before the 2:30 start time. There were lots of people waiting in the entry room where I checked in; I assumed that they were there for the same reason as me and I was right. Guests were led to the same back room that housed last year’s Food & Wine pairing event. Benito, our host (also the same as last year) was seating us and as I told him that I was a party of one, a woman behind me said that they had a party of seven and I could sit with them. What a delightful group of ladies! I was seated next to Eileen, who apparently was the arranger for the group’s little excursion, and across from Jean, the oldest lady in the group and its founder many years ago. Next to Eileen was her daughter Lindsey who recently turned 21, attends culinary school and was sporting a hair color or “atomic pink”. She was changing to “napalm orange” the upcoming Tuesday to better go with her fall wardrobe, and I was invited to her color debut, as were the rest of the women. That’s one of the greatest things about the Food & Wine Pairings—you get to meet the nicest and most fun people!
Anyway, on to the food. The meal started with an antipasto misto, followed by a wonderfully creamy risotto al parmigiano paired with a Gavi di Gavi from Banfi. Next came the entrée: three slices of fennel roasted pork with orange zest, parsley and gremolata, served over mashed potatoes and sautéed broccoli rabe and paired with Banfi’s Centine Rosso. I’m usually not a big pork fan, but the meat was tender and flavorful and not overpowered by the fennel or the orange. Lindsay doesn’t eat pork at all, so her mother had asked the server if they could substitute something else. The chef came to the table and suggested a pounded breast of chicken instead, which, according to Lindsay, was very good. I thought it was especially nice (and quite unusual!) for the restaurant to make a substitution at an event like this. Dessert was a huge goblet of zabaglione cream gelato, paired with Rosa Regale, a crowd favorite this year and last.
Portion sizes at this event were way beyond what was expected for “tasting portions” and wine glasses were refilled generously. We were all quite stuffed after almost 2 hours of eating and drinking—our lunch ran well past the advertised 4:00 end time. Overall the meal was just delicious and a great value for the $55 price tag. And, the company was terrific, too!
|
|
elainep
Registered: October 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 62
|
|
Review Date: Tue October 21, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
|
|
Pros:
|
Entertainment, desserts, variety of wines and overall atmosphere
|
|
Cons:
|
Lack of tables and seating, unreadable program, limited selection of food items
|
|
We (a group of five women ranging in age from the 40s to the early 70s) attended the Party for the Senses on Saturday, October 11. A check-in table was set up along Epcot’s World Showcase Lagoon between the U.K. and Canada and we got our wristbands there at about 5:25 p.m.—the Party was scheduled to begin at 6:30. Rather than stand around and wait outside the entrance doors on a somewhat warm evening as many other guests were doing, we elected to hear Off Kilter perform in Canada at 5:30, followed by the 6:00 British Invasion show in the U.K. As the British Invasion played their last song, we walked over to the Party. It was around 6:20 or so and the first set of entrance doors was now open. We were able to obtain our wine glasses and notched plates with no wait and were then ushered into the entrance hall where we were given our programs, but were not allowed to go all the way into the Party just yet. Once the welcome announcement was made, the guests up front made a beeline into the room and grabbed almost every available table with seats, leaving us with a choice of high-top tables with no stools near the entrance hall or a regular table with chairs in the entrance hall itself, which was far, far away from the food and drink. Obviously, we should have forgone the live Epcot entertainment, but who wanted to wait outside in a hot crowd for almost an hour? So, we opted for the stand-up table, which ended up working out OK.
In previous years, the Party program listed menu items by colored page, i.e., the page colored and labeled “red” listed the food and wine that was available in the section of the room draped with red ribbon. This year, the program was just a four-panel piece with the featured chefs and wineries listed in a small, almost unreadable type size. Next to their names was a microscopic swipe of undistinguishable color which supposedly corresponded to the colored draperies overhead. Needless to say, the program was of no help to most of us who couldn’t make out the print or the colors in a room with dimmed lighting even while wearing reading glasses. Plus, the menu items themselves were not listed so the only way you knew what was being served was to walk around all of the sections of the room and remember who offered what. Perhaps Disney was trying to go “green” with the abbreviated program (4 pages vs. last year’s 12) or maybe the chefs hadn’t decided on their menus before the printing deadline, but the Party organizers really need to take a look at retooling the program for next year.
On the subject of menu items, this year’s selections were heavy on and lamb and veal (which our group typically avoids eating) and game (e.g., wild boar, elk and ostrich, which was surprising much like beef and quite tasty). There were a couple of fish dishes (including ahi tuna, kingfish and shrimp, all of which were very good), one beef flank steak selection and a roast chicken with cauliflower (which was a big hit with our group). Not a beef tenderloin in sight, unlike last year where three different variations were offered at the Party I attended.
The wine selections were quite varied, with representatives from America (almost exclusively California), South America, Europe and South Africa. The Malbec Reserve from Argentina’s Bodega Norton vineyard was a standout, along with the Russian River Chardonnay from a new Coppola winery and, of course, the Rosa Regale from Italy’s Banfi. Unfortunately, that winery’s reps only brought 30 bottles of the sparking wine to the Party—they were on their last 3 bottles during the last 45 minutes of the event. The champagne vendor (Moet & Chandon) ran out early as well and ended up abandoning their booth about an hour before the Party was supposed to end.
Desserts were definitely a highlight, notably the selection of chocolate truffles—yummy!
Entertainment this year was not provided by Cirque du Soleil. Instead, a Cirque-like troupe performed and rotated between various stages throughout the evening. One stage was located in the entrance hall, so if you happened to snag a table there, you were able to see them perform. A trio of New Age-type musicians split time between two stages (but not the one in the entrance hall)—one of them was Randy, the lead guitarist from Canada’s Off Kilter. I wondered why he wasn’t playing with his usual band mates earlier that evening; it was kind of weird not seeing him in a kilt!
The other women in the group I was with had never attended a Party before and certainly enjoyed it, although they did mention that it would have been nice to have more tables and chairs. That’s a pretty typical comment and I tend to agree, even though I know the Party is designed to encourage guests to mingle and move from station to station. But, I have been to a couple of Parties in the past and it is difficult to eat some of the menu items without setting your plate down and sometimes finding a place to do so even briefly (and then, sharing with strangers) can be a challenge. So Party organizers, again, please take note.
Despite the drawbacks I’ve mentioned, the Party for the Senses is truly an experience and one that I would encourage people to attend at least once, maybe to celebrate a special occasion as we were (50th birthdays, including my own). But, the price tag ($135 last year and again this year) can seem a bit steep and if it goes higher, I may have to unfortunately rethink my recommendation.
|
|
Mayden16
Registered: October 2008
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Fl
Posts: 1
|
|
Review Date: Mon October 13, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Food, Commentary
|
|
Cons:
|
None
|
|
My husband and I have been passholders for many years. We recently went to our first ticketed event, Kitchen Conversations with Ming Tsai at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival 2008. From beginning to end, the experience was wonderful. We were able to check in about 40 minutes ahead of time, and were among the front tables. A few minutes in, we were given a nice welcome by a rep. from the Coppola vineyard, who gave us a lovely taste testing and some history about the vineyard.
The host, Pam Smith then introduced us to Ming Tsai, who had us all rolling on the floor with his stories. He spoke of his childhood, his college life, and his culinary journey. He couldn't have been more warm or charismatic. The dish that he prepared for us was a tasty portabello wrapped scallop lollipop- grilled and marinated to perfection (3 scallops- a nice serving size) on a bed of greens.
Afterward, Ming was nice enough to personalize the pre- autographed cook book that we got included with the ticket price. From start to finish, the experience was delightful and well worth the money!
|
|
|
Subscribe to AllEars®.Net's RSS feed
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
