On Day 5 we went to my absolute favorite park; EPCOT! As a
person who enjoys learning about and exploring different cultures, especially from a
culinary standpoint, it’s no surprise that I find this place to be the best.
The only thing that disappoints me every time, is that they have very few vegan
options when it comes to authentic snacks. So I make that up in drinks…yes, I
am lush at Epcot. I get one alcoholic beverage from every county. Wine in
France and Italy; Sake in Japan; Beer in China, Germany and England; and oh,
can’t forget my margarita in Mexico! I know it’s sad. But not to despair there
ARE a few vegan friendly quick bites that can be enjoyed to soak up all that
yummy adult juice.
As many vegans have discovered, Mexican food is by far one
of the most veg-friendliest eats. Tacos can be easily veganized and guac will
never let you down, unless they throw bacon and cheese on it (Boo!). It also
happens to be Tim and I’s favorite food, so, of course, tacos it was for an
early lunch. We ordered from Le Cantina de San Angel, tacos for Tim and a
margarita and chips and guac for me (and him too). The guacamole was well balanced in flavors,
not too limey, a bit spicy, but it was a bit too salty; same goes for my
margarita. Unless you want to meet your sodium intake for the entire day at one
sitting, I recommend going without the salt rim on the margarita. The chips..LOVED! I'm not a huge fan of thin chips. I prefer the thick salty ones and these were it!
Too busy enjoying my drinks and pretty full already from
chips and guac, I didn’t seek out any further vegan eats. I was planning on
finding more info about Germany’s pretzels but they weren’t really selling them
so I pushed it back for my next visit. From my understanding all plain pretzels are vegan, but its best to double and triple check. The smell and thought of (vegan) falafels from
Morocco made my mouth water, but I practiced self-control and waited til
dinner. I did find a few treats in the stores such as tea in Britain and
candies and dark creamy chocolate in Italy and Germany.
And then came dinner. So a brief story. Normally we skip
making reservations at Epcot because usually we seek out food from every
country. However, last minute, Tim and I decided why not end the Disney trip
with one more gourmet meal. Ever since we started planning this trip Tim
expressed on numerous occasions his interest in dining at a very popular
steakhouse not only in Disney, but all around: Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada.
He was hesitant to make reservations due to the fact the vegan options,
according to the menu were limited to salads. But when the menu was updated
this year, guess what ends up on the menu: a dish that seems very much vegan! So
a few days before we tried to make reservations but to no surprise considering
they are booked 6 months in advance, no seats were available. Instead, we made
reservations at the Hibachi Steakhouse in Japan. We debated back and forth and
realized we can have hibachi ANY TIME and at a much cheaper price to add, so we
canceled our reservations. Upon canceling, Tim expressed to our concierge
server his true desires to eat at Le Cellier and so she offered to look once
more. There’s no harm in trying right!? And of course, SCORE! Two seats were
left! I’m not sure if our concierge server pulled off some Disney magic for us
or if we were just truly lucky to have a couple cancel last minute. At any
rate, we got in!
Walking into Le Cellier, we finally understood why this
place was always so booked. Besides the fact they are well known for having the
best steak around, the restaurant is tiny! If I recall correctly, I’m pretty
positive the capacity was in the 140’s. After being seated, we were greeted by
our waitress, who I deemed as the best waiter/waitress we had the entire trip.
I could have been a bit bias too, because upon talking to her about the menu
and sharing with her my vegan lifestyle, I came to learn that not only is her
husband vegan, but she east predominantly vegan at home with him! So she knew exactly
what I could and could not eat! AWESOME!!! Plus, her personality was super cool
and outgoing which I adored. It was like chatting with a best friend! Orders
were put in, and to add I ordered a Canadian wine (didn’t know Canada made wine!),
and waited while observing my husband’s attempts at hiding his inner foodie
that was grinning from ear to ear and throwing fist pumps in excitement.
Thankfully I had a unique, gourmet dish to be quite thrilled about too.
Like most restaurants, appetizer was an assortment of breads
from pretzels bread, to white to a multi-seed, multigrain roll that is always
my favorite. Knowing that I was vegan and couldn’t eat the butter, our waitress
brought out some fragrant olive oil and white balsamic to dip my bread into
instead. I never had white balsamic before so again, a new experience. I found
the vinegar to be surprisingly light and sweet; it was a delightful
accompaniment to the bread and EVOO.
Not too long afterwards, our entrees arrived, mine being a Quinoa
Potato Cake with Potatoes, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, Spring Onions and Baby
Beets. The quinoa potato cake was cooked surprisingly well; a crispy, fried
texture on the outside and a soft, creamy texture on the inside. As for taste,
it was bland alone, but combined with what seemed like a pesto sauce, it was
flavorful. That’s why the sauce is there right!? The veggies on the other hand,
were great! They were loaded with flavor and seasoned really well.
As for dessert, champagne sorbet in cucumber flavor! Each
little scoop was topped with something different…mint, sea salt and lemon rind and
cucumber bites. Wowzers! Light, refreshing and every bite unique in its own
way. Its amazing how a bit of garnishing can change the flavor profiles of such
a simple dish. It was by far one of the best sorbets I have ever had. Very,
very delish! Trust me, skip the cake and chocolate for this one.
While my dish wasn’t impressive, it was still good. But
sometimes it’s not the dish that wins your heart and makes you want to return.
Between the story behind us getting reservations, my husband’s face and our
wonderful waitress (not to mention dessert), I would definitely return. It was
a magical, memorable dining experience; one that makes it all well worth it.
P.S. The camera and the lighting we're NOT my friends that day! Arrr.
-Beth
P.S. The camera and the lighting we're NOT my friends that day! Arrr.
-Beth
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