The 5 Best Dishes From the 2012 Food & Wine Festival (The Better Late Than Never Edition)

A note on the new year: I know the dangers of declaring New Year's resolutions on January 1, but in an effort to maintain a happier, better me, I've decided that, along with the traditional "I will work out and lose 20 pounds this year" spiel, I will also make more of an effort to fill my life with more Disney, hence the reason I started this blog in the first place. I make excuses since my professional life has been so fulfilling, I don't find much need to come home and write more after a long day. But darnit, it's what I love. And as you may have noticed, I always have plenty to say. So, now that I've gotten that out of the way, a happy and healthy new year to all, and here we go!

This is painfully late, somewhat embarrassingly so, but having had an amazing experience at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival this year (or last year, my goodness it's 2013!) I just had to tell you about it. Take a look at what I think were the 5 best eats from the gorge-fest that is the Food & Wine Festival.

Grilled lamb chop with mint pesto and potato crunchies, Australia

I'd hardly consider myself a meat person. In fact, if you had asked me before digging into this dish if I liked lamb, I probably would have said no way. The lamb dish from the Australia booth changed all that in just a few bites. The combination of the salty, crispy potato crunchies (read: crumbled up chips) paired with the zest of the mint pesto was enough to make my taste buds dance. And the lamb itself was cooked perfectly, and not at all fatty or too "meaty," as my sometimes-vegetarian self would say. It was just so perfectly yum.

Mongolian beef in a steamed bun, China

Any way you slice it, one of the dishes from China was bound to be a favorite. Of the three, it just so happened to be the Mongolian beef bun. Here we go again with the meat - but this was tender, and it wasn't the main ingredient that had our tongues wagging. It was the tangy spicy sauce, the crunchy noodles that I rarely eat a salad without, and the slightly sweet bun that made this dish. This paired with China's Happy Lychee vodka concoction, and we were pretty happy indeed. 

Kahlua pork slider with pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise, Hawaii

All of the hub-bub about Hawaii's famous pork sliders was 100 percent accurate. The pairing of spicy mayo and sweet pineapple was enough to make me forget I was eating pork (which I could have sworn I didn't love, though I'm starting to notice a pattern here). It's obvious why they brought this back, and I hope it will continue to be a festival mainstay for years to come. 

Belgian waffle with berry compote and whipped cream, Belgium

You might be thinking, "So what? It's just a waffle." Well, that may be. But it was one darn good waffle. These babies were served fresh, and piping hot, with a delectable compote sauce and perfect dollop of whipped cream. And after eating all of those meat dishes, this is just what we needed. Just wonderful.

Beef empanada, Argentina

Here in D.C., we have a place called Julia's Empanadas. It's most often frequented at 3am, when one wants to fill one's tummy with a fried concoction to balance out the night's surplus of cocktails. This was not one of those empanadas. This was an amazing, melt-in-your-mouth dish, with a warm filling and light crispy crust. Muy bien.

Stay tuned for what I thought were the worst dishes from the Food & Wine Festival, if you can forgive my tardiness on the subject!

Happy eating!

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Disney Detox: Eating Healthy in the World

I was a pig this weekend. A no holds barred, never ever full, kind of pig. Ever have one of those weekends? It was rainy, so we were stuck inside. We had just stocked up on some chips and dip (never a great idea, even if it is for preseason football), and the temptation was just too much. So while I sit here watching the season finale of Falling Skies, and contemplate how I can get back on the nutrition track this week, I got to thinking of the healthiest ways to eat in Disney World.
There are so many food options throughout the Disney resort: After the first couple of days, it's easy to get sick of the chicken fingers and french fries that you grab on the go (unless you have the power to stay healthy the whole time, in which case I envy you). J and I always end up hitting our limit on the fried foods, and opt for the fresher, cleaner options about halfway through our vacation. Now, if we could just avoid the junk in the first place, we'd be off to a much better start. So my goal for this October (minus the Food and Wine Festival goodies, naturally), is to make a valid attempt at a healthier, fresher Disney diet. And here are some of my favorite food and snack spots that are going to make this goal a heck of a lot easier.

Harambe Fruit Market

Source: flickr.com via b on Pinterest

Aside from the soft pretzels, which are always a favorite snack of ours, Animal Kingdom's Harambe Fruit Market offers trail mix, pineapple, and - one of the most delicious autumn snacks - apples and caramel.

Columbia Harbour House

Source: flickr.com via b on Pinterest

Pleasantly tucked away in Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square, Columbia Harbour House is my favorite spot for a fresh-tasting lunch. You can have your chicken nuggets and eat them too, but I'd recommend opting for the Lighthouse sandwich (hummus and slaw), and the Anchors Aweigh (tuna). Plus, if you can snag a window seat upstairs, you've got a great view of park visitors venturing in and out of the Haunted Mansion.

Anaheim Produce

Another typical fruit strand a la Disney, but this one resides on one of my favorite fictional streets: Sunset Boulevard. Grab a hot soft pretzel if you must, but the gems here are the frozen lemonade and decent selection of fresh fruit. This is a great spot for a mid-afternoon snack in Hollywood Studios.


What are your favorite spots for a fried-free nosh? Do share!