Long Overdue Update!

First off, I would like to apologize for being remiss in my posting! But I have some exciting news…

In exactly 22 days this blog will go LIVE from WDW! This is my “Eating Around the World to prepare for Eating Around the World!” trip. It was booked at the last minute, as my next trip was planned for Epcot’s 15th Annual International Food & Wine Festival.

You can expect reviews from the following:

Wolfgang Puck Express
Captain Cook’s
Columbia Harbor House
Tangerine Café
Kringla Bakery
Kona Island Sushi Bar
Kona Café (Breakfast)
Les Chefs de France
California Grill
Bistro de Paris
The Wave
Via Napoli
50’s PrimeTime Cafe
Liberty Tree Tavern
Yak & Yeti
Rainforest Café

I will also be reviewing Polynesian Club Level lounge offerings!

NEWS
Via Napoli at Epcot has opened!

The new 300 seat pizzeria opened on August 5, 2010 and is currently operating for lunch and dinner daily. While dining reservations are available, online or by calling 407-WDW-DINE, they will not accept reservations until September 10th. Until then the restaurant is using a “walk-up only” system. Reviews have been very positive thus far and I look forward to trying Via Napoli in September.

Summer Menus at WDW Restaurants

On the Disney Parks Blog and on the DISboards there have been a number of discussions about seasonal menu changes at many WDW restaurants. I think this is a wonderful thing! Sure, there are certain standby items that should never leave a menu, but variety is the spice of life and I adore seeing chefs use seasonal and local products.

California Grill - Chef Brian Piasecki’s menu for summer features heirloom tomatoes, Brentwood corn (among the best corn in the world), squash blossoms and baby summer squash, Black Mission figs with Pacific salmon, and Masumoto Suncrest peaches. YUM!

Narcoossee’s – Chef Joe Wilson’s menu features Alaskan King Crab Legs, split and chilled, through August. Another new item is the grilled shrimp with Brentwood corn cakes.
The Wave – Chef Frank Brough is using a little known ingredient, the SlimCado! It is a Florida avocado that has fewer calories and a milder taste. Try it tossed with oranges, hydroponic greens and a tangy vinaigrette. The menu also features a smoked tomato bisque thickened with red lentils.

Citrico’s - Chef Phillip Ponticelli’s menu features a smoked pork belly and poached duck eggs on potato and summer truffle gratin with orange blossom honey and mustard glaze, as well as a yellow tomato gazpacho with orange-scented lump blue crab, made with local tomatoes.

Jiko – There have also been many reported changes at Jiko. With a new chef, the menu is being changed to reflect more traditional South African dishes. Currently, word has it that the Pistachio Crème Brulee is gone and has been replaced by Malva Pudding – a sweet pudding made with apricot that has a jam like spongy tecture.

Oh Canada!....Changes at Le Cellier
Walt Disney World has released the 2011 Disney Dining Plan information and much to the dismay of many, Le Cellier is in for some changes. As of March 2011, Le Cellier will require 2 table service credits for dinner. Lunch will remain 1 table service credit. This change should put Le Cellier into what Disney considers the “Signature” category. Will this result in changes to the dinner menu? I would think that the change will affect the dining reservation rate at Le Cellier, as many people feel in its current state that it is not worth 2 credits.