Five Best New Dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016

What will be the five best new dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016? Here's my list. I sampled a slew of debuting entrees and desserts yesterday at a preview held for Tables in Wonderland members and the media. I was enchanted with these newcomers.

Five Best New Dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016: No. 1

Seared scallop with truffled celery root puree, Brussels sprout and wild mushrooms, from the Wine & Dine Studio marketplace: The sweet scallop will be given a Napa Valley twist, served with a creamy vegetable puree laced with that I suspect may be truffle oil, plus an al dente vegetable and lively bits of mushroom. This dish so good I'd order it in a fine-dining restaurant.

Five Best New Dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016: No. 2

Smoked beef brisket and pimento cheese on griddled garlic toast from the Hops & Barley marketplace: The beef was tender and smokey, but the addition of garlic toast and a shmear of intense pimento cheese put this dish over the top.

Five Best New Dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016: No. 3

Pork tenderloin with cannellini bean ragout and zinfandel reduction from the Wine & Dine Studio marketplace: The pork was fine, but incidental. Get this dish for the beans in the savory wine-laced sauce.

Five Best New Dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016: No. 4

Peanut butter and white chocolate mousse with a caramel drizzle at The Chew Collective marketplace: This dessert is creamy, almost frothy, with a strong peanut butter flavor plus plenty of peanut halves to chew on.

Five Best New Dishes at Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016: No. 5

Loaded Greek "nachos" with pita chips, meatless sausage crumbles and vegan tzatziki at the Greece marketplace: I was dreading tasting this once I learned it was vegan, but guess what? It was terrific. I kept eating beyond the two bites I require of myself for this type of review. Using the pita chips as nachos, I scooped up flavored, multitextured portions of a rich and satisfying entree. The sauce is made with "cashew cream." You'd never know it.

As always, the Epcot Food & Wine Festival will involve weeks and weeks of food and beverage events at the Epcot theme park. Small bites and drinks like those above will be sold at themed marketplaces dotting the World Showcase. In addition, guests can sign up for culinary demonstrations, chef-prepared meals, a food-and-wine gala called Party for the Senses, Beverage Boot Camp and way more. In fact, The Chew will host events October 5-7.

Full details will be posted on this link starting July 11 and you'll be able to start booking your cheese seminars, spice-mixing sessions and signature dining experiences on July 21.

The Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2016 is longer than ever this year -- 62 glorious days of culinary hedonism. It will run from September 14 through November.

Eat enthusiastically,

Rona

www.ronagindin.com

Like Boys' Toys? Lodge at Legoland Hotel

Good luck getting to your room at the new Legoland Hotel, parents. Book the room, for sure. Allot loads of time in the hotel. Then prepare to wait ... and wait ... and wait ... because your kids will be too engaged to even get into the elevator. And you still won't be close to that bed.

When Legoland Hotel open on Friday, May 15, it will be a magnet for families with Lego-loving kids.

Legoland Hotel is located right near the entrance to the Legoland Florida theme park -- "150 kid steps," to be exact, according to an executive. The entire lodging facility is Lego-centric, from the theming to the accessories. The resort caters to adults as well as kids. Witness: the lounge with a full bar.

Here are some highlights.

You'll be greeted with some of the Legoland Hotel's 2,000 "models," as the creations are called, before you reach the registration desk.

A large castle stands tall in the lobby. "Face characters" visit often, entertaining children who otherwise might be building, and building, and building, in the Lego pits there and elsewhere in the lobby.

The hotel also has its own "master builder shop and classroom."

You think you're done, right? You can go to the room and rest? Ha!

While waiting for the elevator, your little angels are sure to spot the fart corner. It's right outside the elevators.

The elevator is an adventure of its own. Both elevators have disco balls and murals of a Lego disco. Step inside and you'll hear upbeat music -- maybe "YMCA" or "We Are Family" -- while riding to your floor.

Each of the five floors has a theme: Adventure, Pirate, Kingdom, or Lego Friends. Exit the lobby, and you'll be blasted with music that corresponds to the floor's theme. What's more, the carpeting, wall mural and door covers follow the storyline.

So then. The room. Various rooms have assorted levels of theming. All are spectacular -- especially the kiddie areas, which have bunk beds, a TV case and wall art fitting the rooms' theme.

Each room has clever elements such as Lego bugs on the walls.

Should your little offspring have little tushes, worry not. Toilets have two seat sizes.

Each room challenges children with a puzzle. I'm not sure how it works, but essentially they have to figure stuff out to get into a safe.

Some hotel rooms overlook a scenic lake. Mine had a birds-eye view of the pool area. So festive!

All guests receive free access to the breakfast buffet in Bricks Family Restaurant. The large eatery, divided into sections, features models of a chef spilling food.

Should all this happiness drive you nuts, beeline to the bar. Several local beers are on tap, and creative mocktails are available. The S'Mores with a graham cracker rim sounds tempting.

Oh, you must see this. There is no ladies' room at the Legoland Hotel.

Fun, right? My boys would have gone construction-frenzy-wild for this place when they were younger. In fact, they  might still like it now and they're grown. I sure did.

Legoland Hotel Florida is in Winter Haven, about 45 minutes south of Walt Disney World.

Delve in. Make life fun.

Rona

www.ronarecommends.com