We are Eating Again -- Resistance is Futile Final update Tiffins 2/19

I had no idea that Il Mulino did a brunch. That looks amazing!!!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing
 
Your brunch looks wonderful! You're inspiring us to try some of these special events.

We love the special events. I wish I had a bigger budget for more.

I had no idea that Il Mulino did a brunch. That looks amazing!!!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing

Every year the Swan/Dolphin have a Bubbles Brunch at Il Mulino the Sunday after the Food & Wine Classic. Unfortunately it is only held once a year.
 
OMG I go in there all the time and I've never seen this, and I would be all over it!! Now it'll be front and center in my mind until my next trip :thumbsup2

One of my favorite candies. It's a huge piece of solid dark chocolate with quite a bit of spice. I'm sure you will love it.
 


Monday morning came, and our friends Krissie and Kev needed to head home. We checked out of Boardwalk and headed to Epcot. Kev and I flew to Mars, we all took some test drives, searched for Nemo under water, spent some time with Figment and Soared around the World. We did all this before noon!

To fortify ourselves for the rest of the day, and for my friend's flight back home, we went to the wine luncheon at Tutto Gusto. I had never made it past the front of the bar here, so when we went to the back of the room I was amazed at the wonderful theming. The room was cool and dark. The walls were stone. Wine bottles were stored on the walls. I really felt like I was in an underground wine cellar. The ambiance is just lovely. Here is a picture of us Barb took. I wish she had been in the photo. We spent so many meals together, but missed getting a single photo together. Here we are waiting for wine.
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We had a very handsome young sommelier as our host. I believe his name was Armando. Where does Disney find these guys?
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All of the food and wine was very good. We had an excellent menu.

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First up was the bread service. The crusty rolls were nice, but I am obsessed with thin crunchy bread sticks. I just love them.
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We were also served some olives and oil. The oil was very flavorful, not your grocery store EVOO. I am not a green olive fan so I didnt try the olives. Those ehe did eat them enjoyed them.
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Our first course was Culatello ham and parmesan cheese wrapped around a fabulous crispy bread stick. The parm was tasty, almost buttery. No Kraft stinky cheese here. This was sweet primo stuff. The ham was very well flavored. It was clearly cured , but not salty at all. Total yum!
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This all was served with a wonderful tart Prosecco. The fresh tasting sparkly wine was a very nice prosecco. I would definately buy this at home.

Next up was a really nice risotto. The pear was only slightly sweet and paired well with the savory garfonzola cheese and walnut. This was a big plate, so the resistance started anew. How would we ever make it to dessert?
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This was paired with a Sauvignon. I liked this, but prefer either Gott, or Australian versions better. That is not to say that I didn't drink more than one glass of this. The waiters kep my glass full the entire time we were there. I really don't know how much I drank of each wine. It was all so good, and service was impeccable.

Looks like I might have reached a photo limit, so photo of the bottle on the next post.
 

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Next course was seared tuna. This was also tasty, but nothing compared to my tuna at Il Mulino. Also it could have been seared at a higher temperature to get a better crust on the outside. I was also. Little disappointed that the flavor was ginger. I never thought of ginger as an Italian flavor, more Asian. I had hoped for purely Italian flavors. Still good though. I am just picky about my tuna. Don't let this critique fool you, I enjoyed every bite.
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This dish was paired with a Pecorino. I was not familiar with Pecorino grapes, but learned they grow hillside in a beautiful climate. The notes were fruity, but tempered by a taste of honey. This was not sweet, but had a slight sweetness on the finish to me. I really enjoyed this crisp white wine and will not hesitate to try Pecorino grapes again.
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Next course was the braised short rib. I am always cautious with short rib. Often it is too fatty for me to enjoy it. This short rib was not fatty at all. The meat was soft and flavorful. The polenta was a great side that soaked up the sauce. It was very tasty.
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This was served with a Barbaresco wine. This was another grape I was not familiar with. The flavor of the red was spicy and not very acidic. I liked it.
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We finally came to the dessert course. We were over 2 hours at this point. K& K had to get their dessert packed up to take on the road so they could make their flight. So we were just left with me, Mike and Barb. Dessert was basically an apple doughnut. This was right up Mike's alley. The apple fritter was sweet and soft. This was not a greasy fried doughnut. It was light as a feather with chunks of apple keeping in weighted on the plate. There was also a great vanilla gelato on the plate.
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This was served with a sweet moscato. I am a fan of sparkling moscato, so thank goodness this had some bubble to it. Mike hated how sweet this was, but the waiters were more than happy to pour more red for him.
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Tutto Gusto was really great for this lunch. We will not hesitate to do this again in the future.
 
Later that night we went back Boardwalk for dinner at Flying Fish. K & K were the leaders of the resistance, so since they were on the way home I could talk Mike into going. We were still pretty stuffed from lunch, but decided to share a couple appetizers.

I had lobster bisque. This was good. It had plenty of lobster pieces. It was tinier than it looks in the photo.
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Mike had the crispy oysters. He liked them. I tried but oysters just aren't my thing.
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We then shared some Prince Edward Island Mussels. They were steamed in a garlic and white wine broth. I loved these, but Mike was not a fan. That was ok by me. I ate every last one. You can also see Barb's Hokkaido Scallops - Antebellum Grits, Sweet Corn, Peppadew. I believe she liked them.
20181029_210034-2268x3024.jpg Barb had some kind of salad with heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. It looked really good, and I believe she was happy with it.
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We also had bread. Something was woven into it. Maybe seaweed? There was salted butter, but honestly I just used it to stop up my mussel sauce.
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Mike and I also shared an order of Crab Croquettes. These were ok, but didn't taste much better than what you get from the store. We might be fussy though, as Mike's Mom had a cook in the Philippines that made excellent croquettes of all sorts, including crab. After we got back to the room, Mike mentioned he didn't care for the croquettes.
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Mike and I also shared a wine flight. I drank the white. We shared the Catena Malbec, one of our favorites, and Mike drank the red. This was good, but overpriced for the quality of wines. Honestly we can get a bottle of the Malbec for less than the tasting. But of course you expect that at Disney.
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Finally on to dessert. This was my favorite course. Mike and I shared what I believe was the Florida Sunset - Vanilla Custard, Lemon Broth, Segmented Fruits, White Chocolate. This was Yum Yum yum! I loved the lemon sauce. Mike liked it, even though citrus isnt his thing unless it is orange.
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Barb ordered an alcoholic chocolate dessert. I don't remember the name, but she really enjoyed it.
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Overall I had a good experience. Mike wants to take it off the regular rotation again. I think the croquettes for him. As for me, I can't wait to return for some entrees.
 
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Your meal at Tutto Gusto looks outstanding. They really seem to do a good job at the F&W meals. I've always wanted to eat in the cellar there, but never seem to remember when we are there. Hopefully with some cooler weather in February red wine will be calling my name and I'll finally stop in.

Love the idea of sharing just some apps at Flying Fish for dinner. Jason and I used to always eat like this, but the kiddo changed that equation a bit. :-) Sorry you had to endure those croquettes too though. Definitely not good at all.
 
Your meal at Tutto Gusto looks outstanding. They really seem to do a good job at the F&W meals. I've always wanted to eat in the cellar there, but never seem to remember when we are there. Hopefully with some cooler weather in February red wine will be calling my name and I'll finally stop in.

Love the idea of sharing just some apps at Flying Fish for dinner. Jason and I used to always eat like this, but the kiddo changed that equation a bit. :-) Sorry you had to endure those croquettes too though. Definitely not good at all.

This is the third special event lu ch we have been to, and it was my favorite. The food and wine was fabulous.

Those croquettes were pretty bad. I will need to do some convincing to get Mike back there any time soon. Everything else was good to me, except of course I don't eat oysters. We live sharing apps for meals. Flying Fish wasn't the only meal we had like this.

Thanks for still reading along.
 
The next morning was scheduled for golf, so we met Barb for an early breakfast at Ale & Compass. This was our first visit since the new restaurant had opened. We were big fans of Captain's Grill, so we hoped that the new version would be as good.

A & C had a breakfast buffet that also included a made to order entree. I know this is trendy right now, but it seems like a but of a waste. The buffet had plenty of food for breakfast. I ended up taking the entree back to the room. First up buffet photos.
Lox and bagels

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Charcuterie and cheese
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Biscuits and gravy
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Rolls and butter above
Danishes and pastries
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Cupcakes disguised as Muffins.
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Fresh fruit
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Reached my limit. Next post.
 
Ale & Compass continued

Yogurt parfaits
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Here are my plates. I started with some tea and apple juice. Drinks are included with the buffet but not a la carte. The juice was really fresh.
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I had some biscuits and gravy. I am not a biscuits and gravy fan, except at Hardees, a fast food joint. I always hope I can find some real biscuits and gravy that I like. This was ok, but not anything special.
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On my full plate I had some ham, which was wonderful, a strawberry yogurt parfait that was really good. Some very fresh and sweet melons, and a cinnamon rule that was TO DIE FOR!! I was really torn between a second roll and a chocolate muffin, that was also FANTABULOUS!! This place knows its pastries. I had another plate with some eggs and muffin. With the addition of oatmeal, which I didnt try, this buffet was really enough on it's own.
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Of course if I get an entree I will order one. All but a few bites of these went back to the room with us. I had shrimp and grits. I love shrimp grits, make good ones at home and have dined o perfect ones at the famous Hominy Grill in Charleston South Carolina. These were ok, but really bland. Like no amount of hot sauce could inland them. Notwithstanding, the dish had six beautifully plump shrimp that were delicious.
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Mike had Open-faced Skirt Steak Sandwich - with Caramelized Onions, Poached Egg, Potatoes, Fennel, Watercress, and Tomato Salad with Truffle Vinaigrette This dish was AMAZING!! The skirt steak was really tender and flavorful. The onions were perfectly caramelized. The chimi churro was full of flavor. Mike hit the jackpot, as this was the best entree.20181030_083144-2268x3024.jpg
Barb didn't fare so well. She chose Blueberry-Bacon Pancakes, - with choice of Sausage, Bacon, or fresh Fruit. This was just weird. She let us take them once she had a bite, saying they were not to her taste. We attempted to eat them the next day and were pretty grossed out. These were not good.
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Overall we enjoyed breakfast here and will come back again.
 
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I so wanted to try Ale and Compass on our last trip and Mike's sandwich has me so upset we didn't.
 
Ale & Compass is a great breakfast spot. And, for anyone considering, you can just order an entree and not add on the buffet option. I’d also venture that their burger on the lunch menu is among the best on property!

We did the Italian regional lunch too. Different menu and they were decidedly NOT free with refills when we went (late Oct). In fact some tablemates asked if a refill was available on a wine we enjoyed and the request was met with barely disguised disgust. I had a nice time and I’m sure I didn’t “need” more wine but it still annoys me a bit to know the experience wasn’t consistent and I paid the same $ but didn’t get the “full” experience. Oh well, as I said, we had fun and I didn’t need more wine but on principle...
 
I so wanted to try Ale and Compass on our last trip and Mike's sandwich has me so upset we didn't.
Mike'd sandwich was so good. Try it next time.

Ale & Compass is a great breakfast spot. And, for anyone considering, you can just order an entree and not add on the buffet option. I’d also venture that their burger on the lunch menu is among the best on property!

We did the Italian regional lunch too. Different menu and they were decidedly NOT free with refills when we went (late Oct). In fact some tablemates asked if a refill was available on a wine we enjoyed and the request was met with barely disguised disgust. I had a nice time and I’m sure I didn’t “need” more wine but it still annoys me a bit to know the experience wasn’t consistent and I paid the same $ but didn’t get the “full” experience. Oh well, as I said, we had fun and I didn’t need more wine but on principle...

You are right about ordering just the entree, but the cost difference between the entree with drink and buffet was so minimal I went ahead and did it. Luckily we had a fridge for leftovers. If we hadn't had a fridge I probably would go without the buffet

HORRIBLE!! No wine refills!! That has not been our experience at any wine event at Disney! I know you don't NEED more wine, but that doesn't mean you didn't WANT or Deserve more wine! So sorry. You got jipped.

What was your menu?
 
Based on the buffet Ale & Compass breakfast may be something to checkout on the next trip. On our last visit they were finishing up the remodel & didn't open till after we left.Although the blueberry bacon combo in pancakes just sounds weird.
 
Based on the buffet Ale & Compass breakfast may be something to checkout on the next trip. On our last visit they were finishing up the remodel & didn't open till after we left.Although the blueberry bacon combo in pancakes just sounds weird.

You really can't go wrong with the buffet, except the weird pancakes. Definately stay away from those.
 
Your Italian lunch looked great! It looks like plenty of GOOD food and the wine choices were interesting. I really wish I had done that lunch instead, maybe next year.

I only like homemade biscuits and gravy, either my grandma or mother's recipe. I grew up in Southern Kentucky though and that was a meal staple for us. I've never had a version in restaurants that I've been able to eat more than one bite and that includes Cracker Barrel. Even the hip restaurants around us with Kentucky "cuisine" can't get it right. :confused3 I don't remember trying Hardee's version though, so maybe I should give that one a go.
 
HORRIBLE!! No wine refills!! That has not been our experience at any wine event at Disney! I know you don't NEED more wine, but that doesn't mean you didn't WANT or Deserve more wine! So sorry. You got jipped.

What was your menu?

Well between your better pours at the Swan and Dolphin festival and the Italy lunch I’m definitely going to try to visit when you do next year and follow you around. :rotfl:

Our menu (10/22) started with same ham and parm breadstick. Our risotto was butternut squash. Our third/fish course was a mussels broth and was a fail - no one at our end of the table liked it. Our meat course was venison and dessert was a hazelnut cake. On one hand I like that they vary the menu (could go more than once!) but I have some envy of your menu and overall experience (except zero regrets on table mates - ours were great at this event)

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Well between your better pours at the Swan and Dolphin festival and the Italy lunch I’m definitely going to try to visit when you do next year and follow you around. :rotfl:

Our menu (10/22) started with same ham and parm breadstick. Our risotto was butternut squash. Our third/fish course was a mussels broth and was a fail - no one at our end of the table liked it. Our meat course was venison and dessert was a hazelnut cake. On one hand I like that they vary the menu (could go more than once!) but I have some envy of your menu and overall experience (except zero regrets on table mates - ours were great at this event)

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Your menu does not sound as good as mine. I guess I was just lucky. I would be ECSTATIC to hang out with you.
 
After golf we went back to Epcot. Before our wine seminar we met Barb and visited a couple booths. She had already started her culinary booth tour, so she was way ahead of us and almost stuffed by the time we found her. Our first booth was one of our favorites we visit every year. Africa.
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Here we got the Berbere-style Beef Tenderloin Tips with onion jalapeno, tomato and pap. This is very good. The beef was tender and quite spicy. The pap is like grits, and soaks up all the flavors of the sauce. We really liked it. The wine pairing was the Groot Pinotage. Besides the name (love Groot) I like the wine. It tastes of dark berries.
20181030_155701-2268x3024.jpg we also tried the Piri Piri skewered shrimp. These were plump grilled shrimp with a spicy, but not hot, sauce. These were very good.
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You can also see a glass of Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz and Cederberg Chenin blanc. I like both of these a lot, and regularly order them at home. It's not often you find a nice sweet red, but Jam Jar is great.

Next we mosied on back to China.
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I couldn't find my photo from China so here is the one from Disney Food Blog.
We ate the Beijjing Roasted Duck bao bun. This was really good. Plenty of meat and enough crunch veggies to give it an interesting texture.
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We really loved our next dish here, Xi'an Pancake with Beef. WOW! This was so flavorful. The pancake was soft and slightly eggy. This was my favorite dish of the booths.
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Barb got the Black Pepper Shrimp, which should have been called Super Bitter Garlic Shrimp with Mushy Noodles. Yuk.
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We then said goodbye to Barb and went on to our only seminar this year, Moet & Chandon. I love bubbles in my drinks, so a Champagne seminar was right up my alley. We had a cool presenter. We were given three samples of champagne. I have to day that these are pretty small pours for the $18 price tag.
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We were given Imperial Brut, Rose and Ice. The Brut was crisp and citrusy. My favorite was the rose, as it had a berry taste. The Ice was good too, very mellow. I liked them all. The Ice is supposedly the only Champagne that is served over ice. Sounds a bit weird to me. We weren't served ice, so I can't say if it would change the taste.

Overall this was a good seminar.
 

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