Hey, everyone!  We’re getting really good at getting our menus in sync!  When it comes to yesterday’s effort, for example, we ‘hit’ on five out of six dishes.  Only the Spinach and Paneer Cheese Pocket from Africa has failed to make my final “target list”.

The items that you selected as “safe” (for now) include:

• Braised Beef Waffle – Belgium
• Grilled Lamb Chop – Australia
• Cheese Pocket – Africa
• Crispy Pork Belly – Brazil
• Tuna Poke – Hawaii
• Seared Trout – Canada

You eliminated:

• Kimchi Dog – South Korea
• Trick’n Chick’n – Terra
• Teriyaki Chicken Hand Roll – Japan
• Vegetarian Haggis – Scotland

The only delicacy that I have included is (you guessed it) the South Korean Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce.  Remember, I got the chance to sample this gem at the Tables in Wonderland event in late July.   It rocked the event, in my opinion.  C’mon, admit it … you’d love a pile of these, wouldn’t ya’?!

Look at all them ‘dogs’!

The slaw was so tasty that I even tried to replicate it upon our return to Atlanta.  It was a crude attempt, but, according to Mrs. All in WDW, it was quite tasty in its own right.

I started with a bag of cole slaw mix.  Then, I mixed in some apple cider vinegar as well as small doses of olive oil, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Finally, I added Sriracha hot sauce “to taste”.  Add a little bit at a time, though, so that you don’t ‘overdo’ the heat.

Bob’s “Kimchi Slaw”?

In the end, we didn’t make “dogs”.  We made “Kimchi” Shrimp Tacos.

With a little extra Sriracha to “kick it up a notch”!

But, as a condiment, or as a side (which is how Mrs. All in WDW enjoyed it), my version of the slaw tasted pretty close to what I had in Disney.  Anyway, long story short, at 2013’s Food & Wine extravaganza, the South Korean Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce is, very much, worth the shot!

Friends, we’re going to take a few days off for the holiday.  It has been a long time since Mrs. All in WDW and I have been back to Cleveland to visit our parents, so, this weekend, we’re going to do just that and enjoy some ‘family time’.

We wish you a good Labor Day.  Enjoy your weekends!  And, hey, if you decide to grill some hot dogs, don’t forget to make a spicy slaw.  Put a healthy helping on top of that “dog” and enjoy!  You know you want to!

Bon appetit!

I LOVE the way you guys think!  Griddled Greek Cheese.  Braised Beef Short Ribs.  Ribeye Tacos.  Beef Sliders.  I mean, look at these things!  How can you NOT want to dive in and devour them?

From yesterday’s campaign, the items that you selected as “safe” (for now) include:

• Grass-Fed Beef Sliders – Florida
• Taco de Ribeye – Mexico
• Grilled Beef Skewer – Argentina
• Griddled Greek Cheese – Greece
• Schinken Nudel – Germany
• Braised Beef Short Ribs – France

You eliminated:

• Lemongrass Chicken Curry – Singapore
• California Roll – Japan
• Clam Chowder – Hops & Barley
• Zapiekanki – Poland

So, let’s move on.  Ten more dishes and two more “polls”.  Pick your THREE from each group, everyone!

• Spinach and Paneer (an Indian cheese with a mild flavor) Cheese Pocket
• Trick’n Chick’n Curry with Basmati Rice featuring Gardein (a blend of vegetables and grain creates a vegan chicken) Chick’n Breast
• Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies
• Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce
• Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef

• Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado, and Cilantro
• Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps and Tatties (turnips and potatoes)
• Tuna Poke (cubed and marinated tuna sashimi)
• Seared Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee (curly endive) and Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette
• Teriyaki Chicken Hand Roll

A few things really quickly before we get back to “feasting” on Food & Wine delicacies, my friends.

First, in case you missed it, I left yesterday’s trivia question open.  Click here to jump back and give it a shot.  As an annual Walt Disney World feature attraction, in what year did the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begin?

Also, I left this poll, from last, week open as well.  How many times have you been to Food & Wine?  Please take a second to go back and add your level of “feasting” experience to the list!

OK!  Let’s dive back into constructing the All in WDW Readers’ Pre-Festival Top 25, then!

To quickly catch up with our progress, visit our Readers’ Pre-Festival Top 25 page.  There, you’ll find out which dishes are “Safe” … For Now!  You’ll also find out which Epcot offerings have been given a “pink slip”.

Ten more dishes and two more “polls” today, my friends.  Once again, pick your THREE from each group!

• Taco de Ribeye
• California Roll
• Lemongrass (an herb used in Asian cuisine that has a subtle citrus flavor) Chicken Curry served with Coconut and Jasmine Rice
• Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and a Boniato ( tropical sweet potato or white yam) Purée
• Grass-Fed Beef Sliders prepared with Monterey Jack Cheese and Sweet & Hot Pickles

• Griddled Greek Cheese smothered with Pistachios and Honey
• Zapiekanki (an oven-roasted piece of baguette or bread topped with mushrooms, onions, cheese, and ketchup)
• Schinken Nudel (pasta, ham, and cheese casserole)
• Braised Beef Short Ribs in Cabernet and served with Mashed Potatoes
• New England Clam Chowder

2012’s German Schinken Nudel

It’s time to give us a bit of a break, I think.  I’ve had you carving through so many Food & Wine items that you must be exhausted!  I know that I am!  Of course, we’ll only allow ourselves a brief amount of “kick back and chill out” time.  After all, the festival is only 32 days away, and we have a lot of work to do yet!

What do we look like after yesterday?

From Group #4, the items that you selected as “safe” (for now) include:

• Shrimp Ceviche – Florida
• Berbere-Style Beef – Africa
• Cheddar Cheese Soup – Canada

You eliminated:

• Potato Pierogie – Poland
• Gratinated Mussels – New Zealand

From Group #5, the items that you selected as “safe” (for now) include:

• Ravioli – Italy
• Shrimp Taco – Mexico
• Blue Cheese Soufflé – Cheese

You “gave the axe” to:

• Kefta Pocket – Morocco
• Pineapple Fritters – Refreshment Port

Our thoughts with regard to these two groups are, pretty much, completely in line.  For example, I’m very confident that the Shrimp Ceviche, Berbere-Style Beef, Ravioli, and Shrimp Taco will make my Pre-Festival Top 25.

First, the Shrimp Ceviche gets rave reviews, and, since I haven’t tried it yet, I think it’s high time I give it a chance.  The Ravioli and Shrimp Taco may sound a bit on the ordinary side, but you’ll have to trust me when I say that they are VERY MUCH worth the shot.  They both finished in All in WDW’s Top 5 in 2012 with the ravioli winning the #3 slot and the taco landing at #5.  Finally, an Ethiopian chili pepper-spiced beef sounds too intriguing not to sample.  It has to be on the menu.

There are a lot of new things I’ll be trying this year, like Africa’s Berbere-Style Beef. There are also a lot of things that have been around for a while that I’ll be giving a first chance, like Florida’s Shrimp Ceviche. Finally, there are some dishes that I left off of 2012’s sampling menu (because of their poor performance in 2011) that are going to get a chance at redemption. These include Argentina’s Beef Empanada and Ireland’s Fisherman’s Pie … items that you, too, have already passed through these first few rounds of “voting”.

Why do I tell you this? It’s because the inclusion of all of these new, newly-to-be-sampled, and second-chance dishes are going to push some very popular items completely out of my cross-hairs … like Poland’s Potato Pierogie and Canada’s Cheddar Cheese Soup.  Oh, the shock!  Well, maybe not for the pierogie, eh?

Yes.  I have been to Le Cellier.  And, yes.  I have had this famed soup.  It is outstanding … especially if you use it as a place to dunk a piece of the restaurant’s yummy pretzel bread.  The fact of the matter is that there are just other things on the initial list of 61 dishes that intrigue me much more than this signature cup of soup.  It, unfortunately, can’t make my cut.

In the meantime, however, Le Cellier’s “gem” survives your vote.  Its ‘cheddar cheese delicious-ness’ is still safe when it come to the All in WDW Readers’ Pre-Festival Top 25.  By the way, keep up-to-date with our progress on our Readers’ Pre-Festival Top 25 page.

Have a great Sunday, my friends!  Enjoy!  We’ll be back!