Finally!   We have arrived at the “top of the mountain”!  It is the “cream of the crop”.  The “best of the best”!  It’s time to find out which dish is the All in WDW 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival “champion”!  I’ve waited for days … I can’t wait any longer!

5. “Le Cellier” Filet Mignon – Canada

Pre-Festival: 2

Change: -3

Ever since moving to Atlanta, I’ve been “ruined” for filet mignon.  After all, NOTHING measures up to New York Prime.  Nothing.  Not even you, Le Cellier, I’m sad to say.  You see, now, I know what a filet is supposed to ‘cut like’ and taste like.

As I said during the festival, “ … we tried this two times.  All in all, it [was] a bit of a disappointment.  For me, at least.  I think it was much ‘tougher’ than any filet has a right to be (both times), and I don’t like mushrooms enough to make up for that fact.”

#5: “Le Cellier” Filet Mignon (Canada)

The result?  It drops out of my Top 2.  O, Canada!  After having two Top 5 dishes in 2012, you were supposed to be a contender!  Not this year.

4. Kalua Pork Sliders – Hawaii

Pre-Festival: 1

Change: -3

September 29, 2013 at 12:35 PM.  That’s the date and time when the impossible became reality.  Hawaii’s Kalua pork slider lost its “title”.  What?!  A world without Hawaii’s pork slider as the best Food & Wine dish ever?  To be fair, we tried it three times.  Mrs. All in WDW and I, both, came away disappointed … ALL three times.  There were a variety of reasons.

The portion of pork seemed much smaller than past years.  At the least, the serving size was somewhat inconsistent.  The first time we tried it, the pork had a bit of a scorched taste.  The spicy mayo seemed to be “tamed down” and almost tasteless.  And, the Dole pineapple chutney, for the most part, over-powered the dish.

#4: Kalua Pork Sliders (Hawaii)

Wow!  If we had that many “complaints”, how in the world does this former “champ” even hit the Top 5?  Call it the benefit of the doubt.  This slider has been phenomenal in the past.  Just phenomenal.  I’m banking on a bad Opening Weekend for Hawaii and will try this one again in a few weeks.  Stay tuned!

3. Seared Mahi-Mahi – Singapore

Pre-Festival: 10

Change: +7

I really liked this dish in 2012, and its return in 2013 was even better.  The secret?  More “Singa” sauce.  I remember that my portion last year had the sauce, but it was much more sparsely delivered.

#3: Seared Mahi-Mahi (Singapore)

This year, bathed in soy sauce-tasting “Singa”, this perfectly prepared piece of fish was an overall winner.  There’s a lot of seafood at the festival this year.  This dish was the best of a pretty good “bunch”.

2. Ravioli – Italy

Pre-Festival: 4

Change: +2

I don’t even know where to start.  It’s such a simple and ordinary dish.  Typically I count that against an item, but it was #3 in 2012 and is #2 this year … how can it consistently excel?  Is it because I always seem to sample this one at the same umbrella table in Italy … with a glass of wine?

#2: Ravioli (Italy)

No, as I said last year, it was “[t]he other-worldly blend of flavors – cheese, sauce, meat, pasta.” It’s a culinary orchestra that I just can’t deny.  If I were to pick one festival dish to have as an entire meal, this would be the one.  And, I can’t tell you how hard it was to NOT name this the 2013 All in WDW Food & Wine “champion”.

1. Mongolian Beef – China

Pre-Festival: 6

Change: +5

Another symphony of flavors!  But, a much, much more UNIQUE composition.  Hey!  If you’re going to become the”champ”, you better bring the whole “orchestra”, AND you better have an original “song”.

The beef was savory and perfectly cooked.  There was absolutely outstanding flavor in that steak.  Where the pork slider’s sauce disappointed us, we found China’s rendition to be vivid, full of flavor, spicy but not-too-spicy, and utterly fantastic.  The crunchiness of the noodles balanced perfectly against the unique and pillow-like softness of the bun.

#1: Mongolian Beef (China)

When I look back on the dishes that populate my Top 25, there are few that stand out enough for me to say this … if you tell me that you’re going to visit this year’s edition of Food & Wine and that you can only have ONE dish, have China’s Mongolian beef!  It IS the 2013 “champ”!

I don’t know about you all, but these recaps have made me hungry … hungry for a return to Epcot!  I can’t wait to go back and have a second go at some of these dishes!  But, that will come soon enough. In fact, we’re mere weeks away from our return.  In the meantime, we’re closing in on the Top 5!

10. Crispy Pork Belly – Brazil

Pre-Festival: 14

Change: +4

My biggest problem with this dish was inconsistency.  I have had it three times – once at the Tables in Wonderland preview event, once with Rick Howard for our recording of his Travel with Rick episode covering Brazil, and once, later, with Mrs. All in WDW on our last day at the festival.  Each time it was different.

#10: Crispy Pork Belly (Brazil)

In truth, I think it is VERY worth the try.  As I said in my pre-festival comments, “The symphony of tastes you’ll find when you combine a bit of the pork with the dish’s black beans, onions, avocado, and cilantro are hard to beat.”  That’s all still true.  It might be inconsistent – sometimes crispy, sometimes not, sometimes big, sometimes small – but it still tastes pretty good.

9. Scottish Salmon – Scotland

Pre-Festival: 11

Change: +2

Tables in Wonderland also served us Scotland’s salmon at their July preview event.  I’m afraid that I wasn’t all that impressed, saying, “It was a bit on the bland side, for my taste.”

#9: Scottish Salmon (Scotland)

At the actual festival, however, the portion I enjoyed was much, much better.  Although it was a much smaller piece than I expected, the salmon was cooked perfectly and had better flavor. The cauliflower purée was a delicious accompaniment.

8. Taco de Ribeye – Mexico

Pre-Festival: 9

Change: +1

What a great “beef taco” comeback!  In 2011, while finishing 5th, I felt Mexico’s ribeye taco was one of the best plates offered at that year’s festival.

After learning that Mexico intended to sub in a filet mignon taco in 2012, I was really excited. Expecting the filet to be a phenomenal upgrade to an already-outstanding dish, I was left with a 16th-placed disappointment.  It was dry, and I was begging for them to bring back the ribeye.

#8: Taco de Ribeye (Mexico)

Well, the culinary staff “figured it out” and ‘bring back the ribeye’ is just what they did.  The taco, the flavors, the beef speak for themselves … rocketing Mexico back up the charts!  Way to go!

7. Grilled Beef Skewer – Argentina

Pre-Festival: Honorable Mention

Change: “Skyrocket”!

Talk about ‘rocketing back up the charts’.  What’s this?  An honorable mention in the Top 10? The Top 10?!  An item that was so disappointing in 2011 that it didn’t even hit the All in WDW radar in 2012?

#7: Grilled Beef Skewer (Argentina)

You got it.  Tender, well-seasoned, perfectly-cooked beef on a bed of luscious, creamy potatoes. And, I’m sold on the Chimichurri Sauce now.  I’ve literally been thinking about this dish’s combination of flavors – especially the sauce and potatoes, oddly enough – ever since we left for home!

6. Shrimp Taco – Mexico

Pre-Festival: 5

Change: -1

Consistently a “high achiever”, this item finished at 5th in 2012.  Mrs. All in WDW claims she prefers our sautéed shrimp, homemade version of this dish, but I disagree.  There’s something about Mexico’s fried shrimp recipe that kicks the whole concept of this taco up a few notches. A simple dish but very good.  A “must have”.

#6: Shrimp Taco (Mexico)

My friends, tomorrow, we return with the big finale.  The Top 5!  And, the “coronation”.  What Epcot Food & Wine delicacy will “rule them all”?  Which dish will be the 2013 “champion”? Don’t forget to stop back and see!

We’ve arrived at the middle of the list, my friends.  Already ten dishes down, after today, we only have the All in WDW 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Final Top 10 to go!  Let’s get moving!

15. Garlic Shrimp – Australia

Pre-Festival: 20

Change: +5

Frankly, with this one, I ran into the same problem that I had with the lobster … a little bit messy.  Just not quite as messy.  You have to pull the tails off the shrimp, after all.

#15: Garlic Shrimp (Australia)

Florida did the same thing with their Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits at this past Spring’s “Food” & Garden Festival.  The jambalaya-like flavors of that particular dish combined nicely with spicy andouille sausage and fresh corn to overcome the fact that a partnership of “shrimp tails” and grits turned me off.  The flavors, alone, carried that item into the #4 spot in my final Top 20.

Australia’s garlic-laden shrimp were tasty, but there just wasn’t enough flavor there to overcome the intrusion of dissecting shrimp, in my opinion.  Also, unlike “Food” & Garden’s shrimp, garlic shrimp, itself, is a bit on the ordinary side.  Sorry, Australia. I guess that “jambalaya” shrimp is a hard act to beat.

14. Seared Scallop – Brazil

Pre-Festival: 19

Change: +5

You’re going to think that I sound like a broken record, but I really think that a scallop dish should include at least two scallops.  Often, people like Mrs. All in WDW and I will share an item.  Do you know how hard it is to share a teeny, little scallop?  Of course you do.

Mainly because I didn’t have to get in there with my hands and pull tails, shells, or anything else off of the scallop, I did prefer this plate to Australia’s shrimp.  The tastes were pretty equal, but the scallop was a lot more “civilized” to eat.

#14: Seared Scallop (Brazil)

Now, if you would bear with me for a moment, I would like to have a quick side-conversation with Epcot’s culinary “brain-trust”.  We absolutely LOVE your festival, but here’s an idea for you:

You’re charging $4.25 for this item.  We don’t expect you to double the protein’s portion size in order to satisfy the “sharers” among us without raising the price.  How about, say, $6.00 to have the choice of getting a second scallop included in the dish?  Just a thought.

13. Kimchi Dog – South Korea

Pre-Festival: 15

Change: +2

Oh, I hear you already.  A hot dog.  Really?  I don’t know what to say other than that I told you so.  We were served this little gem as an appetizer at the Tables in Wonderland preview event in late July.  I liked it then, and I liked it at the festival.

#13: Kimchi Dog (South Korea)

One word of advice?  Ask them to go light on the mustard.  For some reason, they drenched our first “dog” in a flood of spicy mustard.  Don’t get me wrong, Mrs. All in WDW and I like a spicy mustard, but it overpowered the kimchi slaw.  You really want to taste that spicy slaw.

We went back for a second helping on our last day in Disney, asked for less mustard, and really enjoyed the dish.

12. Grilled Lamb Chop – Australia

Pre-Festival: 18

Change: +6

You all know that I’m not a huge fan of lamb … at least not in the form of chops, so I’m going to let Rick Howard and Mrs. All in WDW speak to this one.  Rick?  Take it away.  ”It’s nibble to the bone good.”

Well, that’s what Rick said on the 2012 episode of Travel with Rick that covered Australia.  How about Mrs. All in WDW?  Dear?

#12: Grilled Lamb Chop (Australia)

It’s just fabulous.  Delicious.  A simple dish, but the addition of the pesto and potato crunchies just lift it high above most everything in the entire festival.  It’s a nice portion, it’s consistently good every time, and it’s never disappointed me.  Bob can put it at #12 if he wants, but I nominate it for “best in show”!

11. Lamb Meatball – New Zealand

Pre-Festival: 17

Change: +6

With respect to Mrs. All in WDW, this is how I like to have lamb.  Lamb burgers, lamb sliders, and lamb meatballs.  Very yummy.  This particular version was extremely tasty last year as well.

#11: Lamb Meatball (New Zealand)

Although you can’t see it, as its smothered in tomatoes, it’s a really nice sized meatball.  When it comes to flavor, the lamb was seasoned with just the right amount of spice.  That meat-to-bread ratio “thing” came into play again, though.

What I did was separate the dish a bit and eat a lot of the meatball without including the “bread bowl”.  I liked that much better!  Of course, combining the spicy tomato chutney with the bread was quite delicious too.

There you go, folks.  Tomorrow, we visit the Top 10!  Please leave your comments.  We love hearing what YOU have to say!

I’m back! And, so is the food!

Today, let’s feast on the next five dishes that have landed themselves in the “official” All in WDW 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Final Top 25!

20. Chicken Gyro – Greece

Pre-Festival: 21

Change: +1

Although its improvement in rank is only slight, you could say I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  It definitely reminded me a lot of Greece’s Chicken Souvlaki (from previous years).

#20: Chicken Gyro (Greece)

And, where the tzatziki sauce hasn’t been one of my favorite tastes in the past, this year, it wasn’t too bad. Could they have dialed it down a bit? Or, is it growing on me?

19. Beef Empanada – Argentina

Pre-Festival: 24

Change: +5

I had every intention of going back to Argentina for another empanada before we ended our quest through World Showcase.  Filled with plenty of beef, it was tasty in a spicy-flavorful sort of way.  The pastry shell, however, was a bit on the dry side.

#19: Beef Empanada (Argentina)

And, this is where Rick Howard ‘rides to the rescue’.  As far as he’s concerned, all you need to do is spill some Chimichurri Sauce on top of it and enjoy!  Next time, Argentina.  Next time.

18. Berbere-Style Beef – Africa

Pre-Festival: 8

Change: -10

Mrs. All in WDW described this one best. “Bob, it has no taste. It’s just hot!”  Yeah, in the end, I think she was right.  But, it wasn’t the “heat” that lost me.  It was the grits and the overall appearance of the dish.

#18: Berbere-Style Beef (Africa)

First, I have admitted to you on many occasions that I’m not a ‘grits fan’.  Second, do you remember Singapore’s Beef Rendang?  This dish looks just as unappealing from a presentation standpoint.

17. Braised Beef Short Ribs – France

Pre-Festival: 3

Change: -14

Not impressed.  As you can see from its epic drop, I was very disappointed.  In fact, I was so disappointed that I wasn’t even the smallest bit interested in giving it a second try.

#17: Braised Beef Short Ribs (France)

I have to tell you, I’m a huge fan of braised beef short ribs.  This recipe just didn’t stack up … at all.  It wasn’t nearly as pull-apart, fork tender as I expected.  Oh, and the mashed potatoes?  It seemed like they had been sitting around for a while.  Sorry, France.  Fail.

16. Braised Beef Waffle – Belgium

Pre-Festival: 7

Change: -9

I felt that Belgium’s version of braised beef was way better than France’s entry.  But, in some ways, I was equally disappointed.

#16: Braised Beef Waffle (Belgium)

One-quarter of a Potato and Leek Waffle covered with Braised Beef, I was expecting intriguing, interesting, and unique.  It was all of those things, but I left wondering what a Potato and Leek Waffle tastes like.  In essence, the beef over-powered the dish … making the addition of the waffle a bit moot.

Thanks for the comments and feedback yesterday, folks!  As always, I really appreciate all of your support!  See you – with more food – tomorrow!!

Greetings, everyone!

We finally come to one of my favorite days of the year. You helped me publish your pre-festival Top 25.  I published my pre-festival menu.  Mrs. All in WDW and I journeyed to Orlando to taste the dishes.  Now, I get to reveal the “official” All in WDW 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Final Top 25!

I can’t wait a minute longer, so here goes!

25. Griddled Lobster Tail – Hops & Barley

Pre-Festival: 13

Change: -12

Before you react with shock and horror, hear me out. I do like lobster. I really do. I’m not a fan of cold lobster, but I do like lobster. Having said that, this was, actually, the 2013 ‘Top 25′ dish that I enjoyed the least.

#25: Griddled Lobster Tail (Hops & Barley)

The tails were tasty, I’ll admit, but, having been brushed with melted butter, they were just plain messy.  I know.  Pulling lobster meat out of the shell isn’t necessarily supposed to be tidy.  However, it’s sloppy enough without being greased up with butter first.

I guess when I saw the stains on my clothing I realized that this plate was “not my thing”.  Besides, at $7.50, it is one of the most expensive items at the “show”.  Not worth it, in my mind.  Not when there is a $7.00 filet mignon on the other side of the lagoon.

24. Grass-Fed Beef Sliders – Florida

Pre-Festival: 16

Change: -8

If you watched the Travel with Rick videos, you heard me say that on any given day, a chef and his or her dish can have a bad day.  Well, when it comes to Food & Wine, fool me once, and I’ll give you another chance.  Fool me twice, and you’re ‘done’.

#24: Grass-Fed Beef Sliders (Florida)

I was fortunate enough to try this slider at the Tables in Wonderland Food & Wine preview event in late July.  I found it to be pretty dry and very ordinary.  Believe it or not, at the actual festival, it was even drier!  I thought about giving it a third chance, but, in the end, I felt my money was better spent elsewhere.

23. Griddled Greek Cheese – Greece

Pre-Festival: 23

Change: None

While I was at the festival, I said that this one ALWAYS sneaks up on me and says, “Hey! I’m pretty darn good, remember?”  There’s no question.  And, even though it was a bit hard to cut this year, Greece’s yummy cheese is a perfect blend of savory with honey sweetness.  It’s just difficult to see how I can rank it ahead of other more entree-like items, however.  Of course, that doesn’t say much about the slider and the lobster tail, now does it?

#23: Griddled Greek Cheese (Greece)

22. Seared Trout – Canada

Pre-Festival: 12

Change: -10

The fish was well-prepared, but it wasn’t anywhere near good enough to make me forget Canada’s, now “retired”, Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Sweet Corn Polenta from years past.  The bacon was a nice touch, but it was a bit on the “rubbery” side.

#22: Seared Trout (Canada)

21. Fisherman’s Pie – Ireland

Pre-Festival: 25

Change: +4

OK, I’ll admit it.  It was much better than the portion I had in 2011.  For my taste, though, it needs a lot more seasoning.  To be honest, the seafood was very good.  In total, though, the dish just didn’t have much taste.

#21: Fisherman’s Pie (Ireland)

So, that’s where it begins, my friends.  Tomorrow, we’ll forge deeper into the list.   But, in the meantime, what do you think?   Have you sampled any of these items?   Am I “way out in the weeds”?  Or, am I close to the target?  Please leave a comment and let us know!