PDA

View Full Version : Food and Wine Marketplace review



Hammer
10-28-2014, 12:40 PM
Cast-
Christine, your Dining moderator
Cheryl, my sister

We broke up our sampling of the Food and Wine marketplaces over 2 days. We split all food offerings between the 2 of us, but got our own glasses of wine. We did skip a few kiosks where the offering had not changed from last year, since we had one less person this year to split food offerings, so you will notice we did not go to Ireland, Belgium and Poland. We also do not like kimchi, so we skip South Korea. We mostly had champagne drinks, and they were served in full sized flutes, unlike the wine samples which were 1 to 2 ounce pours.

France-
Tartelette aux escargots: Escargot Tart with garlic, spinach, bacon and parmesan
Gratin de crozet de savoie: Wheat pasta gratin with mushrooms and Gruyere cheese
Boeuf Bourguignon (Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet with Mashed Potatoes)
Grand Marnier Slush- Christine
Champagne Nicolas Feuillate – Cheryl (both beverages purchased at the France Wine kiosk)

We enjoyed all of the food options here, but the pasta was our favorite. Great flavor and the mushrooms were fresh mushrooms, not canned.

Scotland-
Seared Sea Scallop with spinach-cheddar gratin and crispy bacon
Fresh Potato Pancake with smoked Scottish salmon and herb sour cream

The Sea scallop was our favorite of the festival. Beautiful diver scallop cooked perfectly and worked well with the gratin and bacon. Then again, what doesn't work well with bacon?!

Morocco-
Spicy shrimp roll with cilantro and mint sauce
Mimosa Royale: Sparkling wine and orange juice topped with orange liqueur- Christine

The shrimp roll was tasty, but a bit greasy. The Mimosa Royale was delicious and refreshing!

Japan-
Teriyaki gyoza bun: Steamed bun filled with chicken, vegetables and sweet teriyaki sauce

Tasty, but could have used more chicken in the filling.

Brazil-
Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Cilantro
2 Frozen Caipirinha

Very much enjoyed the pork belly with the black beans. We thought the Caipirinha was just okay, as we didn't think the drink had much flavor and weak on alcohol.

Hops and Barley/ Block and Hans-
Baked Lobster Alfredo
Domaine Chandon Brut Sparkling Blanc de Noir

The lobster alfredo was the biggest disappointment of the festival. We should know by now that the lobster is never good, no matter how they prepare it. The Domaine Chandon was delicious, which helped wash away the taste of the bad lobster dish!

Italy-
Chicken tenderloin, cremini mushrooms, marsala sauce and ciabatta bread
Prosecco, Bosco del Merlo- Cheryl
Frozen Margarita with limoncello and tequila- Christine

We usually skip the Italy kiosk except to get Prosecco, but as they had a new offering we thought we would give it a try. It was okay, but needed more marsala sauce. I enjoyed the Italian margarita, as the limoncello enhanced the flavor.

Germany
Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll

This was delicious as always, but I’m biased as I’m German!

China-
Beijing roasted Duck in steamed bun with hoisin sauce

Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
The duck was flavorful, but again more hoisin sauce would be nice. The shrimp was good, but not as good as it has been in previous years.

Farm Fresh-
Nueske's Pepper Bacon hash with sweet corn, potatoes, hollandaise and pickled jalapenos

I have seen mixed reviews for this dish, but we enjoyed it. We liked the flavor of the bacon and corn with the hollandaise.

Australia-
Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies
Sangria (from Mexico kiosk)

This was a disappointment this year. The lamb was overcooked and tough and the mint pesto was a bit bland. Sangria was great!

New Zealand
Steamed green lip mussels with garlic butter and toasted bread crumbs
Venison sausage with pickled mushrooms, baby arugula and black currant reduction
Lamb meatball with spicy tomato chutney
Mohua Sauvignon Blanc- Cheryl

Enjoyed all the selections from this kiosk, with the venison sausage being our favorite of the 3 options

Patagonia
Beef empanada
Grilled beef skewer with chimichurri sauce and boniato purée

Pascual Toso Sparkling Brut
Both food options were tasty and nice sized portions! The sparkling brut paired well with both options.


Canada
Seared Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee and Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette
Neige Bubble

As we were eating at Le Cellier, be didn't bother having the filet or soup, since we knew we would have it as our dinner entrée. The trout was tasty and we really like how the different flavors blend together. This sparkling wine was probably our least favorite for the festival.

Greece-
Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey

This was not as good as last year. The cheese was only warm and was congealed and greasy. We so enjoyed this last year, so this was disappointing.

Puerto Rico-
Carne guisada con arroz blanco: Slow-braised beef with Puerto Rican-grown rice
Tostones: fried green plantains with mayo ketchup
The beef was only okay, but the tostones were pretty good and we are tough judges being half Spanish! They were salted well while still warm and were crisp without being overdone.

Hawaii-
Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise

We did not get a chance to try this last year. This was good, though we removed some of the pineapple, as we don’t really like pineapple (Yes, I do not have dole whips either!).

Desserts and Champagne-
Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé
Möet & Chandon Impérial

We went to this kiosk a couple of times and enjoyed these selections. We believe Dom Perignon is not worth the price charged for it, so we did not buy a glass. We have found many other true French champagnes that taste just as good for less money.

SBETigg
10-28-2014, 07:35 PM
Thanks for the reviews! The Scotland scallop dish sounds so good. I'm really surprised that the wheat pasta dish was the winner in France with braised short ribs and escargot among the selections. It must have been really good. And no surprise about the lobster dish.

KylesMom
10-29-2014, 12:39 PM
Wow Christine - this is one impressive F&W sampling list! So many wonderful foods and beverages to choose from. I think I would enjoy France or Germany the most!