Food and Wine Festival 2011: Round Four

Yikes. It has been almost a whole week since I did my most recent spin through Food and Wine Fest, and I still haven't taken a few minutes to sit down here and record it! And it was *very* much worth sharing. Oh, yes, it was. The crowds were the heaviest I had seen so far for this year's Food & Wine Fest--probably because the weather was ridiculously gorgeous. There were a ton of locals there (easily identified by our long sleeves and jeans in the low-70s air). I hit the World Showcase, hung a hard left, and landed in...

MEXICO 
Grilled Ribeye Taco with Chipotle Pepper Sauce and Scallion on a Flour Tortilla. L A Cetto Petite Sirah.

The flavors were wonderful. It carried a little warmth, but that was to be expected with the Chipotle Pepper Sauce, and the steak was cooked very nicely--not at all tough or dry, and almost no fat. The one complaint I had was that the scallion was left whole. This made for some messy eating, since when the tip of it ended up in a bite, the whole thing just pulled out of the taco in one piece. They should have chopped it up to avoid Chipotle Pepper Sauce sunning down your chin. The wine was not one that I would likely enjoy on its own, but with the food, it was perfect. It was more earthy than fruity, but it was very light, and didn't leave a heavy lingering aftertaste at all, but it had enough "oomph" to stand up to the bold flavors of the taco. After wiping my chin and hands off, I set sail for...

SOUTH KOREA 

Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw.

This is a carryover from last year's Festival, but it was--and remains--one of my favorite dishes. The roast pork is perfectly seasoned and shredded. The kimchi slaw and the sauce they topped it with add just a little kick, but the lettuce cools it right down: perfect balance of flavors. There is just no way I could pass this one up. I love to find quiet little spots to eat. It gives me a break from the crowd chaos & allows me a little space to take the photos I want. (You wouldn't believe how many smart aleck remarks I get from passersby, as if it should matter to anyone that I choose to photograph details I enjoy. But I digress.) I decided to backtrack a bit at this point in the direction of...



GREECE
Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey.

This may have been one of my least favorite selections so far this year. It wasn't *bad*. It was just...a lot of cheese. It was about the consistency of melted mozzarella, but there was easily enough for four people there. And it made me wicked thirsty. The honey helped to temper it a little bit, but I would have pushed people out of the way to get to the water fountain, I think, if I'd had to. I decided I needed to set out for my next stop, so I could get a bottle of water. Off to...



HAWAII
Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise.

This. was. heaven. On a teeny tiny little bun. The slider may very well end up being my favorite new dish this year. The pork was delicious. The pineapple chutney complemented it perfectly. The mayo wasn't that spicy but it didn't need to be. The bun was soft (but not in danger of being soggy). I find it slightly ironic that pork is probably my least favorite meat, and yet, the two best things I've had this year have been pork! I had just enough room left for dessert, so it was time to beat feet for...



IRELAND
Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Ganache.

This is a Food and Wine Fest standard. I've had it before. If they keep bringing it back, I am sure I will have it again. Really, how can you go wrong with warm chocolate cake? (Except for when you try to photograph it on a wall painted white. Even in the shade, the photo was still all blown out, no matter what I tried. Oh well. It was time to enjoy the cake. So I put away my camera for the day & grabbed my fork.)

Round Five will hopefully be this coming Saturday. According to the current forecast, it's supposed to be rainy in the first part of the day, so I may delay if the afternoon forecast looks a little less soggy. Time is running out and I still have a list of things I want to try. Good thing I will be spending quite a bit of time at WDW next week!