Psst! [Whispers] Wanna know about the best foodie festival in Orlando? Keep it quiet, as not a lot of people know this, but the Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic has become one of THE top dining festivals in Florida, and they are preparing a real mega event next month.
OK, [talking normally], this is no real secret, but this yearly dining spectacular, featuring gourmet food, fine wines and spirits from around the world and live entertainment is now firmly established for its variety, quality and sheer foodie style, offering some of the very best tastes of this extensive resort that boasts an amazing 23 restaurants and lounges.
For those who have yet to discover the Swan-Dolphin resort complex, this actually consists of three separate hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan, the Walt Disney World Dolphin and the new Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, the latter of which opened in late 2021 to add a third choice to this exemplar of elegance.
The original duo have long been something of the “secret sauce” at the heart of Walt Disney World, two hotels that do not technically rank as Deluxe resorts in the official Disney listings but which are certainly right up there in overall quality terms – especially for dining. And, since 2009, they have pioneered their own two-day Food & Wine Classic to great effect.
This separately ticketed outdoor event takes place over a weekend in November and attracts a devoted following for its all-round excitement and panache, with dozens of food dishes on offer alongside a dazzling array of alcoholic beverages and accompanied by live bands and stage shows. This year’s dates are November 14 and 15, from 5-9pm each evening, and the 2025 line-up will include:
- A record 49 dishes over the two days, with this year’s menu almost completely new.
- More than 100 wines, spirits and beers to sample.
- Two all-new booths from the latest restaurants in the Swan-Dolphin catalogue, namely Lagoon Lanes & Games and the five-star experience of the brand new Bourbon Steak (which we recently blogged about on this link).
- And two new five-course Signature Tasting Experiences, with drink pairings, hosted by celebrity chefs Todd English and Michael Mina.
The bottom line is that this is a four-hour gastronomic extravaganza of supreme style and grandeur, coupled with a sense of fun and laced with top-quality cooking and live music, all delivered in an action-packed format that has people coming back year after year.
It raises money for a good cause, too, with a percentage of proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity providing special programmes and services for veterans who served in the military and incurred a physical or mental injury or wound during or after service on September 11, 2001. Last year’s event raised $13,000 for the non-profit and the Project remains a highly worthy beneficiary.
But how do we know all this? Simple. The Swan Dolphin staged a special preview at the Swan Reserve last week and really turned on the culinary style with fully 11 all-new dishes from this year’s Classic menu, plus a special appearance by Chef Todd English, who runs the fabulous bluezoo seafood restaurant in the Dolphin Resort and is celebrating 22 years of collaboration with the hotel.
We also heard from Greg Sherman, the Director of Food & Beverage for the resort, Devin Queen, the Executive Chef, and Chef Arnis Robeznieks, the resort’s Executive Pastry Chef (and responsible for some truly heavenly desserts!), highlighting how they have revamped things for the Classic’s 2025 edition, including with a complete transformation of the causeway between the Swan and Dolphin resorts where the event is held. They are also bringing in more than 100 drinks vendors to supply the beverage component of the Classic, making for an even more tempting prospect for those who enjoy fine wines, craft beers and high-end spirits.
But, simply judging by the dishes they put in their preview sampling, this will be an epic event, with some of the most succulent offerings they have put together to date, from Florida oysters and Italian pasta to the Israeli street food sandwich Sabich and Chinese pork dumplings. In keeping with the event itself, all samples were of appetiser proportions (meaning you get to taste more of the menu items either night, and go back for your favourites!).
From bluezoo, we were able to try their Stir-Fried Rice with blue crab, Florida gulf shrimp and tempura shiitake mushrooms; from the Cabana, an eye-pleasing Japanese Chirashi Bowl with cured salmon, seasoned sushi rice, shoyu egg, pickled radish, edamame and sriracha aioli; and from Italian restaurant Il Mulino, their Ricotta Cappelletti, with House-made ricotta filling, crispy Pancetta breadcrumbs and a super-delicious beef ragu.
We can whole-heartily recommend the Fried Apalachicola Oyster Sliders, which came with a superbly tangy key lime “Mignonette” jam, while the Slow Braised Wagyu Beef Short Rib (straight from the kitchen of Bourbon Steak) practically stole the show with its melt-in-the-mouth consistency and gorgeously deep, rich flavour.
And then there were the desserts, four of them, to set the seal on an immensely satisfying tasting session. The Sweet Corn Ice Cream Cone was prepared in front of us, with hot honey syrup, a crushed cheddar crisp and caramel corn for a luscious plateful of sweet goodness, while there were another three pre-plated desserts, including a heavenly Green Tea and Lime-Mango Mousse Dome and super-rich Chocolate Cassis Mousse.
While we weren’t imbibing for personal reasons, the drink selection offered a truly eye-catching array of possibilities that would have been hugely tempting if we weren’t driving. The wines included that celebrated New Zealand sauvignon blanc Cloudy Bay, Californian chardonnay La Crema and pinot noir Meiomi, plus French rosé Miraval, as well as Moet & Chandon, Mumm, and Taitinger champagnes. The spirits included Corazon single barrel reposado tequila, Four Roses small batch bourbon, the artisanal Banhez mezcal and Fee Brothers bitters, while the craft beers offered Samuel Adams organic chocolate stout, Japan’s super-dry Asahi lager and a range of highly-rated Florida brews, all of which would be considered high-end offerings.
As we mentioned, all the dishes were served in modest proportions, and we were easily able to sample all 11 in the 1.5 hours of the preview session. In the full four hours of the all-you-can-eat and-drink Classic, we can easily see it possible that you could try as many as 20 dishes to get full value for the ticket. And you’ll need to get full value for the ticket price. As you might already have guessed, this is not a cheap experience, at $224 per person, and it requires a significant investment of your holiday cash.
But we can guarantee it will be a culinary highlight of rare magnificence and is the kind of experience you’ll remember for years to come. Who knows, you might even discover your new favourite tipple! See the full details at www.foodandwineclassic.com.
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