After a wildly popular debut at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, the slow-roasted pork shank is now on the menu at Edelweiss Snacks in Fantasyland at Disneyland park, with an added tangy BBQ glaze on this Disneyland version to give it a bit of a kick. And for the summer (June 14 through September 2), you’ll also find it on the menu at Woody’s All-American Roundup at Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree in Frontierland.

Vying for attention with the park’s giant turkey legs, this tender, meaty pork shank is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, slow roasted and finished with a BBQ glaze. It’s a hefty 22 ounces or so, so you might want to share this low-carb, high-protein indulgence.

Cost is $9.99 – consider it lunch for (at least) two!

Tagged: Dining, DL, DLR

Filed: Disney Dining, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

At last, our first taste of the indulgent caramel fleur de sel at L’Artisan des Glaces, Artisan Ice Cream & Sorbet, just opened in the France Pavilion at Epcot.

Imagine it: sweet caramel ice cream with just a dash of the famous fleur de sel French salt. Yes, that little dash of savory takes our waffle cone to a whole new level. (And, for the record, it’s the flavor of choice for general manager Eric Weistroffer and Epcot Executive Chef Jens Dahlmann.)

The new shop is a beauty, with glass shelves to showcase hand-painted vintage milk cans that Jerome Bocuse found on travels through France. And the colorful ice cream flavors are works of art created right there all day long in the true French tradition (milk, sugar, cream, eggs and fruit) and served at the perfect temperature to bring out the true flavors. The egg yolks create a dense, silky ice cream that’s completely different than the American or Italian versions.

Weistroffer says there are literally hundreds of flavor combos if you mix and match with a shot of liqueur. Ice cream flavors include classic chocolate and vanilla, mint chocolate made with fresh mint, pistachio, hazelnut, caramel fleur de sel, cherry, coconut-white chocolate, coffee and profiterole. Pastry Chef Olivier Saintemarie bakes crunchy mini-profiteroles, dips them in dark chocolate and mixes into vanilla ice cream, with some more chocolate sauce – this one you must try.

Sorbets are strawberry, mango, melon, lemon, pomegranate and mixed berry. The frozen treats will be available by the scoop in cups or cones – and for grown-ups, there’s a double scoop served in a martini glass with a shot of Grand Marnier, whipped cream-flavored vodka or rum from Martinique.

Cost is $3.99 for 1 scoop, $6.10 for 2 scoops, or $11.50 with liqueur. A single scoop is one snack entitlement on the Disney Dining Plan.

Tagged: Dining, Epcot, Gallery, WDW

Filed: Disney Dining, Epcot, Walt Disney World Resort

Ah, such a decadent way to start the day – classic eggs Benedict, really just a stack of crisp English muffin, grilled Canadian bacon and a perfectly poached egg until you top it with a velvety, rich hollandaise sauce.

Chef Alle Thiam from Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel at the Disneyland Resort shows us his trick to making the perfect sauce (and it involves a lot of butter).

And he also shares his recipe below for this dish that also make a delicious “brinner” – breakfast for dinner.

Eggs Benedict
Steakhouse 55
Disneyland Hotel

Serves 4

Hollandaise Sauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 large egg yolks
Dash Tabasco
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon water

Eggs Benedict
8 slices Canadian bacon
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
8 large eggs
4 English muffins
1 teaspoon chives

For hollandaise sauce:

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. When butter has melted completely, tilt the pan and skim off the foamy liquid that rises to the surface to clarify the butter. Will need 1/2 cup for recipe. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Fill 2-quart saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer.
3. Whisk egg yolks, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and water in medium mixing bowl for approximately 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture lightens in color.
4. Place mixing bowl over simmering water and whisk to cook the egg mixture. Move bowl on and off the heat to avoid scrambling eggs—approximately 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for 3 to 5 minutes or until egg mixture coats the back of a spoon.
5. Remove bowl from heat and gradually whisk in small amounts of the warm clarified butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding more butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

For eggs Benedict:

1. Cook Canadian bacon in large skillet over medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Fill 2-quart saucepan half full with water. Add vinegar and bring to a simmer over low heat.
3. Crack the eggs into the water and cook 2 to 3 minutes until set and egg whites are opaque. Lift eggs out with a slotted spoon to drain. Set aside and keep warm.

To serve:

1. Halve and toast English muffins. Place two halves on each plate. Top with 1 slice of Canadian bacon and 1 poached egg.
2. Spoon warm Hollandaise sauce over eggs. Garnish with chives.

Tagged: Dining, DLR, Recipe, Video

Filed: Disney Dining, Disneyland Resort, Hotels & Resorts

It’s an elite bunch, with only 10 restaurants in the U.S. who can say they’ve been at the top of the AAA Awards for 14 consecutive years. And Victoria & Albert’s is again one of the country’s finest places to dine, joining just 53 restaurants nationwide who made the AAA Five Diamond list. With 28,000 restaurants approved by AAA, fewer than one-quarter percent achieve this prestigious distinction.

So we again congratulate Chef Scott Hunnel, Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek, Maître d’Hôtel Israel Perez and their team for earning the coveted award for the gem of a restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

“Haute cuisine at its best” defines the AAA criteria. Add cutting-edge menus, the finest ingredients and “food prepared in a manner that’s highly imaginative and unique” and you’ve got the extraordinary combination that defines a winner. But beyond the kitchen, the maître d’ must lead an expert service staff “that exceeds guest expectations by attending to every detail in an effortless and unobtrusive manner.”

Victoria & Albert’s wows guests every single night of the year with a fabulous “Contemporary-American” menu and refined touches such as Italian Sambonet silver, fine Royal Doulton and Wedgwood china, and Italian Frette tablecloths (hung, not folded, to avoid creases). Women get a small stool for handbags and a rose to carry home – and if you’re chilly, they’ll offer a cashmere wrap.

The restaurant offers three dining experiences: the dining room, the elegant Queen Victoria’s Room and the Chef’s Table in the kitchen.

For reservations, call 407-WDW-DVNA (939-3862). Visit Victoria-Alberts.com for more information. Dining room is $135 per person for six courses and $65 for wine pairings. Chef’s Table and Queen Victoria’s Room are $210 for 10 courses and $105 for wine pairings.

Tagged: Dining, WDW

Filed: Disney Dining, Hotels & Resorts, Walt Disney World Resort

Like the Academy Awards of the restaurant industry, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Operator Innovations Awards go to the crème de la crème of restaurant operators who drive advancement in the food service industry. And at the second annual ceremony last week in Chicago, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts took home one of five top honors for Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.

Be Our Guest Restaurant is delighting both guests and cast with a personalized approach to “fast casual” lunchtime dining. Guests order at state-of-the-art kiosks and the food “magically” appears at their tables, thanks to amazing behind-the-scenes technology merged with fantastic cast service. While the system utilizes automation, radio frequency technology and some pretty sophisticated electronics, at the end of the day it’s about serving great food in an elegant environment in a timely and welcoming manner.

“It is a fantastic accomplishment for our leadership team to be recognized by our peers,” says Maribeth Bisienere, vice president Food & Beverage and Merchandise Line of Business for The Walt Disney Company. Selected by an independent panel of expert judges, the award winners were honored during the NRA’s Destination: Celebration gala at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.

Recognized in the categories of food safety, health and nutrition, menu development, sustainability, and technology, the winners “have found solutions for their businesses with programs and initiatives that combine creativity and hard work,” says Jeffrey W. Davis, convention chair for NRA Show 2013. “The 2013 Operator Innovations Awards winners redefine how the industry views innovation and will serve as the benchmark for other operators to apply the same innovative spirit within their own operations.”

Tagged: Dining, MK, New Fantasyland, WDW

Filed: Disney Dining, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort

When we’re in any of the Disney Parks, it’s hard enough to pass the popcorn wagons with the buttery aromas beckoning. And now it’s twice as hard to walk on by when these adorable popcorn buckets are filled with the fluffy kernels.

Through the summer (and while supplies last), you’ll find the endearing Dumbo popcorn bucket in Fantasyland at Disneyland park and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort. The R2-D2 buckets are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Tomorrowland at Disneyland park.

Cost is $12. Popcorn buckets aren’t on the Disney Dining Plan.

Tagged: DHS, Dining, DL, DLR, MK, WDW

Filed: Disney Dining, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort

Our team of chefs and beverage experts are cranking up fast for the 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, with food, wine, beers and cocktails taking center stage around the World Showcase Promenade and all across Walt Disney World Resort.

Look for classic Scottish dishes that are still in the development phase, but the cocktail of choice will be a Rusty Nail, a popular Scotch whisky martini that is simply Scotch and Drambuie. Scotland is just one of more than 25 ethnic and specialized marketplaces – and we’re happy that Brazil returns this year, a crowd favorite that was missing in 2012.

Hawaii is back with the fab pork slider, as well as the vegan Terra Marketplace that debuted last year.

Favorite celeb chefs are back. Look for Jamie Deen, Robert Irvine, Gale Gand, Art Smith, Buddy Valastro, Bryan Voltaggio, Warren Brown and others to make appearances at special events and on stage in the Festival Center. Wine tastings, mixology seminars, cheese seminars, live entertainment and the engaging Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog give guests of all ages plenty to see and do. More than 270 chefs and culinary stars from the U.S. will be there.

The 46-day festival runs September 27-November 11. You can start making reservations in August at 407-WDW-FEST (date to be announced soon)! Keep an eye on www.epcotfoodfestival.com for updates.

Tagged: Dining, Epcot, International Food and Wine Festival, WDW

Filed: Disney Dining, Epcot, Special Events, Walt Disney World Resort