Category Archives: All in WDW on Travel with Rick

Yes! Food & Wine is only a week away!

Yay!  I am so excited!  Food & Wine is only one short week away!

Huh?  What’re you talkin’ about, Bob?  The 2014 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival doesn’t “take the stage” until September 19th!

Oh, so, OK.  The 2014 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival starts one week from today!  But, why should we care?  What’s the Disney “tie in”?

Well, Rick Howard and John Donahue of Kingdom Magic Vacations are coming to The ATL!  That’s right!  That’s what my excitement is all about.

You remember Rick and John, don’t you?  At last Fall’s Food & Wine, Mrs. All in WDW and I got the opportunity to guest host their video podcasts on Epcot’s Australian, Brazilian, and Singaporean festival marketplaces.

Griddled Lobster Tail

Well, next week, we’ll take them on a weekend tour through Atlanta’s Food & Wine as well as to several of our favorite ATL hang-outs!  Stay tuned to us late next week in order to follow along with all the fun and frivolity!

In the meantime, you can follow them this weekend as they tackle another city’s Food & Wine.  They’re taking on “The Big Easy”.  They’re in New Orleans!  Follow them on Twitter at @RickKMV, @TravelwithRick, and @johncdonahue!

Oh, and, by the way, did you catch the report that A.J. Wolfe and the Disney Food Blog published last week?  It spread the first real news we’ve seen about the 2014 edition of Epcot’s marquee event.  Check out DFB for the full text, but I’m intrigued that she reports that there will be a Patagonian kiosk.  Patagonia?

Patagonia is a region located at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile.  Does this mean that Argentina’s booth disappears from the “party”?  I hope not. I just acquired a taste for their Grilled Beef Skewer.

At any rate, A.J. mentions that Patagonia might serve us a roasted salmon.  OK, I love salmon, but, like I said, will we still get our beef skewer?  She also tosses out the possibility of an arugula chimichurri.  Hey!  The skewers come with chimichurri!  Maybe there’s hope?

Apparently, the Brazil booth will return in 2014.  It will come with a Tilapia dish that includes a coconut lime sauce with steamed rice.  Sounds good.  It also sounds a bit like Singapore’s 2012-13 tilapia creation.  That was good.  I’ll bet Brazil’s will be as well.

This leaves me to wonder, however.  Will Brazil bring back their Crispy Pork Belly?  Uh, they’d better.  If not, Mrs. All in WDW will be pretty disappointed.

Evidently, the Florida (Local?) booth is being replaced this year!  In 2013, their Grass-Fed Beef Slider was dry as dust.  Their Shrimp Ceviche was “Just OK”.  In 2012, their White Corn Arepa was bland and greasy.  Maybe a change was due.

A.J. reports that, at the “Farm Fresh” marketplace, we’ll “… be treated to a new ‘Bacon and Eggs’ dish featuring applewood-smoked, pepper-coated bacon, sweet corn, potatoes, Hollandaise, and pickled jalapeños.”  Hmm.  Breakfast at Food & Wine?  OK. I’m intrigued.

Let me end with this … my BIG prediction.  Here goes … I’m going to predict that the Scandinavian marketplace will make its triumphant return in 2014.  It was excluded from the festival’s 2013 line-up.  It comes back this year!

Oh, who am I kidding?  That wasn’t that big of a stretch, was it?  After all, the Disney-verse is pretty Frozen-obsessed, isn’t it?  Let’s put it this way, if I’m wrong, credit me with one very bad guess.  If I’m right, you heard it here first!

Travel with Rick’s Food & Wine Ratings

It’s hard to believe that Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival is already past its half-way point.  It seems like just yesterday that we were down in Orlando recording videos, taking pictures, writing blog posts, and tasting delicious-ness.

If you’re like us, you fall into one of three categories …

  • You’ve been to Food & Wine ’13 and you miss it already!
  • You still have a trip scheduled and you’ll be able to catch the “magic” before the “party” shuts down on November 11th.
  • You won’t be able to get to Epcot this year and are aching for a view of the grand event that you know you want to attend in the years to come.

In any case, you’re craving the ‘next best thing to being there’.

TwR at F&W!

Well, that “best place” can be found with Rick Howard of Kingdom Magic Vacations.  His Travel with Rick video podcasts deliver an outstanding display of Epcot, World Showcase, the festival, and, most of all, the food.  And, this year, Rick is providing the experience with a new “twist”.  He and each of his guest hosts have rated all of Epcot’s delicacies!

To catch up on the events-to-date, jump over to the Food & Wine Festival Marketplaces and Ratings page on Travel with Rick.  From Terra to Belgium, Rick and his team have covered them all.  And, he’s not done!  From France to Scotland, there’s a lot more to come!

If you want a “taste” of Food & Wine, visit Rick.  He’s got the “goods”!

Singapore Is Still SO Misunderstood!

When it comes to Singapore’s highlight dish – their Seared Mahi-Mahi – I believe this island country IS misunderstood.

#3: Seared Mahi-Mahi (Singapore)

#3: Seared Mahi-Mahi (Singapore)

As for their Lemongrass Chicken Curry … well, I think you need to watch our appearance on Rick Howard’s Travel with Rick video podcast reviewing Singapore and read my Final Top 25 review of this culinary offering.  Did it pass muster?

Next year, we need to see Butter Chicken, Singapore.

Next year, we need to see Butter Chicken, Singapore.

But FIRST, check out my preview of Singapore’s marketplace on Kingdom Magic Vacations’ Blog.  What did I expect from this kiosk?  What pre-festival grade did I give them?

Friends, have you been to Food & Wine?  If so, please leave a comment and tell me how you GRADED this much-maligned kiosk.  I would love to know what you thought of their 2013 effort.

Enjoying Singaporean Cuisine?

Good morning, folks!  Hey, here’s a riddle for you.  What do they say in Singapore when it’s raining?  Hah!  Read on for the answer.  Wink, wink.

You’ve heard me report it a couple of times now.  Rick Howard, President of Kingdom Magic Vacations and host of the Travel with Rick video-cast, is spending the whole month of October covering each and every Food & Wine ’13 marketplace.

Well, jump over to Travel with Rick to see Mrs. All in WDW and myself engage Rick in a playful bout of banter and repartee’ as we enjoy Singaporean cuisine.

Is Singapore misunderstood? Did they step their cuisine up from years past? Will Rick admit that Singapore’s 2013 Food & Wine effort will exceed that of Scotland? What wager did we finally settle upon? Did we enjoy the Singapore Sling? Check out All in WDW on Travel with Rick!

Oh, and the riddle … I have to tell you, the Cast Members in Singapore are the masters of corn-ball jokes. As they served us their chicken curry, they quipped, “No need to worry, here’s your chicken curry!” Yeah, corn-ball.

So what do they say in Singapore when it’s raining? “It’s Singa-pouring!” Har, har, har. Ba-dum, dum.

Don’t hold it against us, fans. Go watch the show!!

Pre-Festival #10: Seared Mahi-Mahi (Singapore)

Pre-Festival #10: Seared Mahi-Mahi (Singapore)

Pre-Festival #22: Lemongrass Chicken Curry (Singapore)

Pre-Festival #22: Lemongrass Chicken Curry (Singapore)