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Sep 10, 2012
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Restaurant: Italy Booth (Food & Wine Festival)
Meal: Cannoli
Price: $2.00
Pros: Really good. Well worth two bucks.
Cons: No two-for-one special?
Recommended: While more of a snack, I definitely recommend it. I have been wanting to try a real cannoli FOREVER. After having seen them featured in my favorite movies/shows like THE GODFATHER and THE SOPRANOS over the years, I had to get one; but for some reason never did. Thank you BGW!! Just look at the picture...crispy and creamy!!! Yum yum.

 

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Restaurant: Italy Booth (Food & Wine Festival)
Meal: Panna Cotta
Price: $2
Pros: Fantastic. Probably the best $2 I've ever spent at the park.
Cons: None. None at all.
Recommended: Most certainly. It's amazing.

 

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Zachary said:
Restaurant: Italy Booth (Food & Wine Festival)
Meal: Panna Cotta

I agree. I had this and I loved it. What is great about the item is the portion size too. It was tasty, sweet, and I didn't feel guilty splurging on desert. The price was right too. :heart:
 
Restaurant: Scotland Booth (Food & Wine Festival)
Meal: Scottish Egg
Price: $4.00
Pros: Absolutely delicious! Breakfast in a ball!! Very nice presentation. Well worth four bucks.
Cons: Was disappointed you only get half of the egg. :(
Recommended: Definitely yes. The sweet & spicy mustard sauce really sets this off!

 

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Restaurant: Scotland Booth (Food & Wine Festival)
Meal: Scottish Toffee
Price: $2.00
Pros: Excellent toffee!! Well worth two bucks.
Cons: None.
Recommended: Definitely yes.

 

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*Hey ChickenKing, since this thread is solely dedicated to the Food & Wine Festival, I changed up the format a bit to better fit the thread and event. For example, Booth instead of Restaurant since they are all booths of some sort. Just insert the country.*

Booth: Ireland
Item: Irish Cheese Sampling
Price: $4.00
Pros: The Apple Rasin Chutney is very sweet and surprisingly delicious. The green cheese was may favorite. It looks pretty weird and unappetizing, but it is surprisingly the better of the cheeses offered.
Cons: The cracker was heh.
Recommended: Sure, I would get it again. If you are a cheese lover this is for you for sure, especially if you are looking for new different cheeses not found in your local grocery store.

Booth: Scandinavia
Item: Kottbullar
Price: $5.00
Pros: It was very delicious.
Cons: It reminded me of your basic pre-frozen grocery store meatballs. Not anything new too much.
Recommended: Because I love meatballs, I would go for this again, but if your more interested in trying more unique dishes, I suggest skipping this one. But it is still very delicious.

Booth: France
Item: Coq au Vin
Price: $5.00
Pros: It is definitely something new to try and has a unique taste to it because of the wine used to make it. The unusual taste may seem a bit not so yummy at first, but is to be expected so. The potatoes were spot on and I think overal the dish is definitely unique and delicious.
Cons: The first time around a bit of an not desirable taste.
Recommended: I do recommend it for those looking to try something new and different. Honestly, I'd recommend it to anyone. It was just as great as the other foods I sampled.

Booth: Canada
Item: Cheddar & Lager Chowder
Price: $3.00
Pros: It is a very good chowder/soup. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste despite what the ingredients were and generally loved it.
Cons: I had a somewhat cold/warm portion.
Recommended: Yes, even though the temperature of the food wasn't desired, it still tasted pretty good.

Booth: Austria
Item: Schnitzelwich
Price: $5.00
Pros: I love schnitzel! It was my favorite European food that I just could not get enough of. The Busch Gardens F&WF version was the right portion and previously I didn't know you were supposed to eat the lemon, but when I ate the lemon with the meat it tasted amazing and the flavors blended really well together. I am already looking for recipes on making pork schnitzel. Now if only we can get schnitzel on a stick :p
Cons: Absolutely None!
Recommended: Of Course!

Booth: Germany
Item: Currywurst
Price: $4.00
Pros: Very much hot dog-like and the potatoes were good. Once again, if you are looking for new flavors to put in your mouth, this is a dish for you. Definitely has a different taste and take on hot dogs with fries and ketchup.
Cons: Kind of a German-ized version of hot dogs and fries with ketchup but fancier.
Recommended: Yes for those interested in different tastes and expanding their horizons of food. I think this is one of the more generic yet unique dishes they have to offer.

Booth: Germany
Item: Rahmgulasch
Price: $5.00
Pros: The veal with mushrooms and onions was spot on awesome. Definitely one of my top favorites as far as entrees go. The pastry shell is crunchy and makes for a great bowl type thing almost like a bread bowl.
Cons: The pastry shell is flaky and is hard to eat while eating the stew at the same time to get maxed flavors.
Recommended: Totally, you can't go wrong here.

Booth: Italy
Item: Tiramisu
Price: $3.00
Pros: Crazy coffee flavor!
Cons: None at the moment I can think of.
Recommended: Yes BUT only for those who enjoy the taste of coffee and more especially the taste fo espresso. If you are not a fan of such drinks, I suggest avoiding this dish.

Booth: Italy
Item: Panna Cotta
Price: $2.00
Pros: What is not a pro? Creamy, pudding-like, with vanilla flavor. Definitely a yummy dish and the strawberries are just a plus.
Cons: Not very unique flavor, just fancy presentation of vanilla pudding.
Recommended: Totally, if you love vanilla pudding this is your dish. Not exactly the type of unique food I'd expect, but still yummy none the less.

Booth: Spain
Item: Chorizo Empanada
Price: $4.00
Pros: It isn't too spicy to scare away the mild lovers, yet just spicy enough.
Cons: None really.
Recommended: Yes. I originally was a bit intimidated because I am not a spicy food person, yet it wasn't super spicy to where I didn't enjoy it. It was a mild spicy of just the right spice and it was much more enjoyable than I thought it would have been.

Booth: Greece
Item: Salata
Price: $3.00
Pros: Pita Chip
Cons: It's practically your same ol' salad.
Recommended: This is one I would skip, especially if I am trying to taste the more unique foods. This was really much like your basic salad at home and had nothing too crazy special about it. What more do you expect from salad?

Booth: Greece
Item: Baklava
Price: $2.00
Pros: Sweet as can be!
Cons: Too flaky and too thick.
Recommended: Sure if you love your teeth rotting from the sweetness. I swear they must dip this into a clear sugar glaze much like donuts but sweeter :p

And there are my current reviews of foods I have sampled. More to come, hopefully!
 
I edited my post just to add one item that I forgot about!

CK, if you were given free food, you'd eat it all too!

I'd also like to mention quickly I plan on getting the following as well and will review them as well.

Booth: Scotland
Item: Shepard's Pie
Price: $5.00


Booth: Ireland
Item: Bangers with Colcannon
Price: $5.00
Pros: The cabbage was cooked really well, not too soggy like it tends to get, just enough crispness to it. The sausage was fresh. Overal great tasting!
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes, if you want something familiar but still new, go for it!

Booth: Scandinavia
Item: Krumkake
Price: $3.00

Booth: Crepes & Coffe
Item: Chocolate & Banana Crepe
Price: $4.99
Pros: Very yummy combo.
Cons: Sadly, their crepes aren't really fresh. The only thing fresh is the fruit and Nutella they add. The actual crepe is frozen and warmed up on a hot plate. Sadly it mine wasn't warmed up to a good enough temp and it tasted pretty cold.
Recommended: Sure, crepes are typically very delicious, but just like the CT Hot Coco, this can be a hit or miss.

Booth: Crepes & Coffe
Item: Vanilla & Strawberry Crepe
Price: $4.99

Booth: France
Item: Tomates Farcie a la Ratatouille
Price: $4.00
Pros: It tastes new and exotic and different.
Cons: It isn't my forte of tastes, I personally think too much olive oil and tomato.
Recommended: I would skip it if I didn't have the time or money.

Booth: France
Item: Vichyssoise
Price: $3.00

Booth: Canada
Item: Venison Sausage & Corn Porridge
Price: $5.00
Pros: The sausage had a different tastes, but still surprisingly delicious and this coming from someone who only likes my pork and beef :p Corn porridge was interesting. Not exactly what I expected but still really yummy.
Cons: None
Recommended: Totally!

Booth: Canada
Item: Pumpkin Caramel Mousse
Price: $2.00

Booth: Germany
Item: Schinkennudel
Price: $3.00

Booth: Spain
Item: Venera con Jamon
Price: $7.00

Booth: Spain
Item: Tapas
Price: $5.00

Booth: Spain
Item: Hazelnut Custard
Price: $2.00

Booth: Greece
Item: Souvlaki Tzatiki
Price: $5.00
Pros: Pork with veggies taste perfect together.
Cons: I got a huge cup full of dressing drowning half the food, I wish the dressing was drizzled rather than dumped on there. I personally don't like dressing though, so yeah. The pork itself was a little too cooked, I thought it was just above being perfect, not too far off though.
Recommended: It can be a hit or miss, all I can say is try and see what you get.

Booth: Greece
Item: Halloumi
Price: $4.00

Wish me luck on my Food & Wine Festival Tasting Adventure. I think I might have you beat in Food & Wine Festival coverage pretty soon CK ;)

EDIT: Due to unforeseen circumstances, my reviews will be postponed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused.
 
Alright, PRock, if you had a budget of 50 bucks for 2 people (and you can assume we will share each dish we try) what would you recommend? I WANT to try the greek skewered thing w/tzatziki sauce, but I am game for anything else. Oh except for the scottish egg. I can't stand hard boiled eggs.
 
Honestly, the list above is my to-do list that I will edit in the details when I taste them. But from what I've tasted so far you can't go wrong anywhere really. It depends mostly on if you are adventurous and want to try something new and unique or if you want to stick to familiar flavors and known items and also if you prefer spicy or not and other things as well.

EDIT: But I would go for the foods I already reviewed just because I already reviewed them and they fall into the $50 price range. Also a nice note to add, all the samples are not super small but you may want to think about getting more just because the foods are so good you can not just have just a little bit!
 
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Booth: Greece
Item: Souvlaki Tzatziki
Price: $5.00
Pros: Taste. Comes with a nice field greens salad under the souvlaki. Tzatziki sauce is spot on.
Cons: Many things. First, the meat was really overcooked. Almost like glorified beef jerky pellets. WAAAAAY too small. The one I saw in Nora's picture had 4 meat pieces on it, and mine only had TWO. Either this was by design, or someone forgot to add more to the skewer. I felt ripped off big time. Just check out the photo below.
Recommended: Not in the way it was sold to me, no. I actually enjoyed the salad w/the sauce much more than the souvlaki skewer, to be honest.

And in that same pic below:

Booth: Greece
Item: Halloumi
Price: $4.00
Pros: Taste. That is about it.
Cons: Just look at the picture below. THIS is how it was served to me. Looked like whoever was behind the counter just threw a little bit of crap on the plate, and I paid 4 bucks for THIS?
Recommended: Again, not in the way it was sold to me. The cheese was fantastic, but the piss poor job they did of serving it up was unacceptable. You can judge for yourself if you compare the pics of my two samplings vs the ones Nora posted in her blog here.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Sorry Greece. Your kiosk gets top prize for looks, and maybe your folks working it were having a bad day, but this food I was served makes me wish I had more hands.....so I could give both of these dishes four thumbs down. If I didn't want to spoil my day off, I'd have raised heck about getting a refund. As a matter of fact, if any BGW people are reading this, I believe I actually do want one. Would YOU pay $9 for this? (See pic below) This food was so bad I didn't even buy the other items on the menu. That's how bad this was.

Edit: I was the only one in line at the time, so it was NOT because there was a rush of people ordering all at once. This was just plain sloppy, no matter how you look at it.
 

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I've noticed that portion/quality control is very inconsistent at the Greece kiosk. I've also noticed that the working conditions there don't seem to be as nice as the other kiosks. The area from Pompeii to Festa Italia is the hottest area of the park and I don't think they have any fans or air conditioning. That needs to improve… Fast. Other than that, I think Greece has the potential to be the best food stand.
 
Time to move onto Austria!!

Mind you, not all of the items I tried are pictured below. I tried to get as many "untouched" photos of the food as possible, but my girlfriend & I were with her older teenage son who was helpful enough to forget about 75% of the time that I was trying to take pics of all these things & just started chowing down before he even left the immediate area of the booth itself. :mad:

Booth: Austria
Item: Schnitzelwich
Price: $5.00
Pros: Generous portion. Taste is VERY good with the caper sauce, and it really suprised my palate with the addition of the lemon slice. Really added a sweet acidic flavor to an already great sandwich. Even the bun was nicely warmed & ready for MAH BELLY!!
Cons: There really isn't one for this little masterpiece of theme park food.
Recommended: ABSOLUTELY YES!!! This was the only thing we bought today, where we all agreed it was so good, we wanted another one. I'd classify this one in the same league as the smoked sausage pretzel we all love & adore. This needs to be a permanent fixture in the Germany/Oktoberfest menu from now on.

Booth: Austria
Item: Paprikash
Price: $4.00
Pros: The sweetness of this stew was a little strange at first, but with the sour cream added to it, it really balanced it out. Served up VERY warm, which was nice.
Cons: The bowl this came in had a little leak, but nothing I couldn't fix w/a plate & a wet napkin under the bowl to seal off the leak.
Recommended: This one surprised me! I didn't expect it to be this flavorful and I'm guessing because I have such an epic beard, the lady gave me a generous serving of this. Yes, I would recommend this!!

Booth: Austria
Item: Linzer Torte
Price: $3.00
Pros: Very sweet. Nicely portioned, not too much, not too little. The Raspberry filling was outstanding. Oh and whipped cream. How do you go wrong with that?
Cons: A bit more crumbly than I would have liked. Also, the whipped cream was served in between the torte pieces. Would have enjoyed this more if they each had their own dollop of it.
Recommended: You bet. Nice finish to a great set of sampled dishes.

Did not get to try the Tafelspitz (Braised beef sirlion w/apple horseradish sauce). Nobody in my family can stand horsey sauce, no matter how you gussy it up or try to mask the flavor.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Austria............You saved my faith in this Festival. After a horrible start with Greece stumbling out of the gate & falling flat on it's face with me & my family, you led the pack to the finish line today. Well done.
 

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And then it was on to GERMANY!!

Booth: Germany
Item: Currywurst
Price: $4.00
Pros: The curry infused ketchup is what saved this dish for me.
Cons: A bit of a disappointment for me. The sausage pieces were the perfect bite size, but they were served a bit cold. Also, isn't currywurst supposed to be made with BRATWURSTS & not knockwursts? The potatoes....ugh...they were absolutely crappy though. VERY dry. They tasted like they were ones they had cooked yesterday & left over to serve today, or were WAY overcooked. They were so bad I couldn't even finish eating them. Not even the curry ketchup could mask the staleness.
Recommended: No not really. The other family members, including my girlfriend who lived in Germany while her now ex-husband was stationed there in the Army, could manage more than one bite before she nearly spit out the potato wedge, and she used to buy this dish from the vendors in her neighborhood all the time. A disappointment, considering the rave reviews others here have given it.

Booth: Germany
Item: Rahmgulash
Price: $5.00
Pros: VERY tasty! The mushrooms & onions really stood out in this one. Everyone enjoyed their taste of this. Almost like a mini-stew bowl.
Cons: Could have been bigger given it's price point.
Recommended: Yeah, I'd say it was overall a nice little dish worth trying.

Booth: Germany
Item: Schinkenneudel
Price: $3.00
Pros: Very hearty considering it's size. It reminded me of a dish my German grandmother used to make when we'd come visit.
Cons: Slightly runny.
Recommended: Sure. It's a safe choice if you're not much on trying a variety of tastes that you don't normally go for in your home or when eating out. Plus it's nicely priced.

Booth: Germany
Item: Carrot Cake
Price: $3.00
Pros: VERY good! A perfect mix of different tastes all in one nice little dessert item. Almost bought another one.
Cons: Tough to pick out individual flavors when so many things such as the raspberry compote was fighting for supremacy with the lemon cream over the carrot flavor in the cake.
Recommended: Yep, not a bad finish for everything we tried from this booth.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Germany gets 3 out of five stars on the food. Nothing really stood out to me as a dish that I would bang down the doors of the BGW execs demanding that they add something to their permanent menu. Fix the currywurst potatoes. Only the German beer flight saved this one, in my opinion.......and speaking of the beer flight....check out the next post.
 

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As they say in the Bud Light commercial.....HERE WE GO!!

GERMAN BEER FLIGHT TIME!!

Booth: Germany Beer
Item: German Beer Flight #1
Price: $10.00
Pros: I like the numbered tray and the little leaflet describing each beer. Beer's #1-3 were very refreshing, served up at the right temperature with just the right amount of head. #2 beer (the Fransiskaner Weissbier) was absolutely to die for. A perfect wheat beer.
Cons: The #4 beer (Kostritzer Schwartzbier) was almost like drinking stale diet coke. Slightly carbonated, almost. If I hadn't paid $10 for the whole sampling, I'd have dumped the rest in the planter next to me.
Recommended: Absolutely. The beer flight's price point is VERY reasonable & lets you have something other than the usual stuff they sell that you can find at any 7-11 outside the park.

Edit: I did not buy Beer flight #2, as those are all Virginia brewed beers & I've already had them all. If you'd like my opinions of them, just ask, but I wanted to save the $10......that and I was the one to have to drive back home to Richmond. lol

France's reviews are coming up as soon as I put my 2 year old son to bed. I'm trying to crank out all these reviews while my impressions of all this food are still fresh in my head.
 

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^^^ Just when I get serious about something....hahaha. Usually I'M the one doing that! Alright, lemme get this kid to bed & get on with the reviews. I got a LOT of 'em. We bought damn near everything on all the menus today. It was crazy. Oh, & we left around 6:30...sorry, our babysitter called us & said she'd had enough of the 2 year old. (Not really, but you get the idea)

Back to the tasks at hand.....hehe
 
Booth: Spain
Item: Hazelnut Custard
Price: $2.00
Pros: Creamy, pudding-like substance with nuts in it. Very good. Beats SNACK PACKS any day!!
Cons: None.
Recommended: Definitely yes.

 

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Booth: Italy
Item: Panna Cotta
Price: $2.00
Pros: The custard or cream stuff is pretty good. The strawberry is fresh, sliced, and goes very well with the cream.
Cons: None.
Recommended: Yes.

Booth: Italy
Item: Cannoli
Price: $3.00 (listed price, but...)
Pros: Crispy & creamy. So delicious. Makes you feel "gansta"!!
Cons: None.
Recommended: Yes.

 

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