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It’s ON! The 2018 Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic


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The 2018 Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Classic is ON, and there’s no place we’d rather be!

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2018 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic

The Classic is a two-night event starting this evening! Now in its 9th year, the Classic has become a popular event due to delicious small plate dishes and drinks on the Causeway (including three themed food areas) and fun foodie seminars during the weekend.

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2018 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic

Ticket holders for the event are enjoying the activities on Friday, October 26, and/or Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 5:30PM to 9PM. As in the past, there are several ticket options, which you can find on the event website. The Causeway Ticket provides unlimited access to food and drinks along the Causeway between the two resorts.

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2018 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic

If you are a ticket holder for Saturday evening, we are here tonight to show you what you have to look forward to! Or, if the Classic is a new event to you, you can learn a little more about it in case you’d like to work it in with your Epcot Food and Wine Festival plans for next year!

Check out the full menus for the 2018 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic here!

Before we begin, there is something to keep in mind… most menu options will change from Friday to Saturday. But this will still give you a great idea about the type of eats and drinks you have to look forward to!

The Causeway

Now, where should we start?

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Causeway Directional Sign

Chinatown, Carnival Corner, and The Pig & Poke

How about the three themed food areas? Chinatown is always a can’t-miss!

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Chinatown

Why, you ask?

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Chinatown

Because of Yu Chen’s Crispy Duck on a steamed bun with cucumber and hoisin!

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Crispy Duck

It’s an absolute favorite, and we’d never miss it.

The Shanghai Dumplings (pan-roasted pork dumplings with a spicy sauce) are here, too!

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Shanghai Dumpling

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Shanghai Dumpling

But though we started with a favorite, let’s turn our eyes — and taste buds! – towards this year’s NEW themed area, The Pig & Poke, delivering the tastes of Hawai’i and Polynesia!

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This way to The Pig & Poke!

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The Pig & Poke area

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Roasted Pig on Display at The Pig & Poke

The rich and flavorful Traditional Earth Baked Kalua Pork is served alongside steamed white rice with barrel-aged tamari and Napa cabbage.

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Kalua Pork

It’s seriously delicious, and it will be interesting to see if The Pig & Poke (and, in particular, this dish) return next year.

And next up? The Poke! Tuna Poke, that is!

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Tuna Poke

Hawaiian yellowfin tuna, Koho sushi rice, avocado relish, and  just a hint of crispy fried wontons for a texture variation come together to form a delightfully fresh dish.

And because it’s still warm here in Florida, you’ll also find Hawaiian Shave Ice which can really hit the spot!

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Shave Ice

It’s your choice of tropical flavors.

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Shave Ice Flavors

And returning this year is Carnival Corner, which serves up all its flavors with a side of FUN!

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Carnival Corner

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Carnival Corner

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Carnival Corner Games

We had already fallen head over heels in love with the Funfetti Fried Oreo Cookie at the Classic’s preview event, and couldn’t wait to get to Carnival Corner to dig in again!

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Fried Oreo Stand

It’s all in the name: Oreo. Dipped in Funfetti batter. And it’s all FRIED.

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Funfetti Fried Oreo

Oh, and did I mention there’s also chocolate ganache?

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Funfetti Fried Oreo

FOR REAL.

Also at Carnival Corner is Frito Pie, served up… well, just like it sounds!

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Frito Pie

Your Fritos bag is filled with house-made chili, corn chips, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese.

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Frito Pie

You can even choose some hot sauce to go with it before you dig in!

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Frito Pie

Little Smokies Sausages are served here, too, with sweet brown sugar barbeque sauce to resemble that classic party appetizer. But it’s given a little carnival twist with crushed Cheez-Its.

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Little Smokies Sausage

But the other absolute favorite here, along with those Funfetti Oreos, is the Mac Attack!

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Mac Attack

The beef barbacoa and poblano pepper bring the flavor “attack” to this awesome dish!

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Mac Attack

More Causeway Eats

The Main Causeway, of course, is lined with menu items presented by the Swan and Dolphin restaurants and chefs. And there was a complete standout from Todd English.

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Todd English’s station

Just LOOK at this gorgeous Brown Butter Poached Maine Lobster Roll!

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Brown Butter Poached Maine Lobster Roll

Served on a toasted brioche bun with lemon aioli and frisee, the flavor from the generous chunks of decadent lobster still shine through even with the tasty accompaniments.

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Brown Butter Poached Maine Lobster Roll

Todd English’s bluezoo, of course, also has a booth, where the dish of the evening is Dynamite Rock Shrimp.

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bluezoo Station

The Rock Shrimp is plated with late season Zellwood corn, wasabi foam, Matsutake & Japanese Eggplant and crispy lotus root.

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Dynamite Rock Shrimp

Fresh served up a plate well in keeping with its name!

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Fresh

The Southwest Steak Salad is made with local lettuces, black beans, roasted corn, and smoked-jalapeno for some kick!

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Southwest Steak Salad

We couldn’t resist a stop at Garden Grove for a Maryland Crab Cake Slider.

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Garden Grove

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Maryland Crab Cake Slider

Old Bay seasoning — as always — delivers the perfect blend of spices to the Maryland Blue Crab, served on a toasted brioche bun.

Picabu served up the fun Shake & Bake Style Southern Fried Chicken with black-eyed pea puree, white cheddar fondue (hooray!), and a bacon-infused roast garlic gravy.

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Picabu

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Shake & Bake Style Southern Fried Chicken

Desserts, it must be said, are always memorable at the Classic.

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Desserts

Executive Pastry Chef Laurent Branlard presents a trio of Mini Desserts this year. For Friday, they include the All Chocolate Choux, the Tropical Fruit Charlotte, and the Blackberry Bubble Cup.

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Trio of Mini Desserts

They’re as tasty as they are lovely to look at, with attention to detail in presentation and flavor.

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Tropical Fruit Charlotte

The Fountain presents the savory Hickory Smoked Chopped Burnt Brisket Ends on a Toasted Hoagie Roll.

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The Fountain

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Hickory Smoked Chopped Burnt Brisket Ends

And Il Mulino delivered an Egg Yolk Anolini Alla Parmigana with foraged mushrooms, Modena ham, and Pork Brodo.

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Il Mulino

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Egg Yolk Anolini Alla Parmigiana

Shula’s totally brings it!

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Shula’s

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Oven-Roasted Beef Rib Eye

Oven-roasted Beef Rib Eye is served with silky mashed potatoes and Bordelaise. (And this one should be around on Saturday evening, too!)

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Oven-Roasted Beef Rib Eye

At Cib’s Smokehouse, a unique blend of flavors is presented for savory with hints of sweet with the Roasted & Smoked Iberico Pork with a fennel puree, honey-caramelized apple, and buttered turnip.

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Cib’s Smokehouse

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Roasted and Smoked Iberico Pork

Also on the menu? Some classic Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders, with a fun twist of candied bacon and house pickles.

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Carolina Pulled Pork Slider

Cabana plated up Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs “On a Stick.”

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Cabana

The unique dish is served on Vermicelli Noodles with some heat from pickled vegetables and Sriracha Espuma.

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Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs

The Kimonos Roll was served at Kimonos, of course!

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Kimonos

The Kimonos Roll is made of Ashi Tuna, yellowtail, and sustainable salmon and served with wasabi mayo.

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Kimonos Roll

And for the perfect October treat, we stopped by Phins.

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Phins

The Bavarian Style Warm Pretzel is served with a lager-beer cheese for dipping!

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Bavarian Style Warm Pretzel

A wide variety of German mustards and condiments is available, too.

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German Mustard

Beer Garden and Bubble Lounge

Okay, we’ve got two more stops! Because what’s an evening at the Classic without a stop at the Beer Garden?

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Beer Garden

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Beer Garden

Aside from Beer, you’ll also find Jäger Schnitzel (lightly breaded pork with hunters sauce and späetzle).

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Jager Schnitzel

And a Berliner Doner Kabab with Split Roasted Strauss Farm Veal, garlic & parsley yogurt sauce, and red cabbage and onions on buttered warm flatbread.

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Berliner Doner Kabab

And the Bubble Lounge returns with small bites and bubbly sips!

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Bubble Lounge

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Deviled Eggs

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Smoked Salmon Toast

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Smoked Trout Salad

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Candied Detroit Beet, Burrata, and Almond “Parfait”

And with that, we cap off the night by saying “Cheers”!

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Bubble Lounge

Educational Seminars

Don’t forget that the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic offers educational seminars once again for 2018. Some of the seminars feature beverages, while others focus on food and wine pairing.

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It’s Better to “Wine” in Italian

We had the chance to attend the Italian Wine Seminar, It’s Better to “Wine” in Italian.

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It’s Better to “Wine” in Italian

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It’s Better to “Wine” in Italian

We’ll have a full review of this seminar for you here soon!

Click here for Full Seminar Details!

Seminars took place today, with even more on the way on Saturday during the Food and Wine Classic. Beverage Seminars are $50 per person while Pairing Seminars are $85 per person. (The Grand Tasting is sold out for this year.)

Merchandise

If you’d like to remember your evening (or evenings!) at the Classic, there many souvenirs to take home to do exactly that!

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Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Merchandise

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Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Merchandise

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Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Merchandise

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Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Merchandise

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Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Merchandise

Overall

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic is a true highlight of the year, and is a great enhancement to your autumn trip to Walt Disney World — especially for all our fellow foodies. And even if you’re missing it this year, you know how I feel: it’s never too early to start planning your Epcot Food and Wine Festival trip for next year, and it’s highly recommended that you include the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic within your plans!

Are you attending the 2018 Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic? Please let us know with a comment!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by the Swan and Dolphin to attend this year’s Food and Wine Classic. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. (But, just between you and me, the Food and Wine Classic at the Swan and Dolphin is freaking amazing and you need to go. That’s my personal opinion.) You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

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