Next month on November 11 & 12 the Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returns for its 14th year. This annual event boasts dozens of food booths offering tastings from an exquisite culinary team representing the resort’s many award-winning restaurants. More than 85 different beverage booths offer a wide selection of beers, wine, and cocktails including items from numerous local breweries.
Held on the causeway between the Swan and Dolphin resorts, your $185 ticket for either evening entitles you to unlimited access to the food and beverages tasting stations plus live entertainment. In our review of last year's event, staff writer Mike Mack described it as a "seemingly endless food and beverage offerings…an absolute party. The beautiful causeway connecting the two hotels is filled with energy as some very talented musicians take the stage in front of the Dolphin.” This year promises to offer more of the same, purchase your tickets at: https://swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/tickets/
Additional experiences (separately ticketed) explore the culinary arts through demonstrations and seminars led by the resort’s food and beverage professionals each day before the evening festivities. Expand your knowledge with seminars on the history of Italian wines, wine blending, pasta dough preparation, or the five key regions of Champagne among other topics. For ticket info https://swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/seminars/
If you want to learn more about this year’s event, check out the video below featuring insights from Director of Food & Beverage Luciano Sperduto, Executive Chef Dan Herman and Executive Pastry Chef Arnis Robeznieks:
In addition to the popular themed areas from previous years – Chinatown, Carnival Corner, & Beer Garden, new themed areas for the 2023 Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic include For The Love of Florida focusing on local cuisine. It will feature locally harvested oysters and scallops as well as Seminole Fry Bread with the popular autumnal twist – pumpkin spice. Last year’s Bubble Lounge will be transformed into the Rosé Room, a garden setting with still and sparkling rosé.
Also new this year, the Swan & Dolphin have announced the event will provide support to the local Fisher House. Fisher House is an organization that provides free accommodations to veterans and their families during medical treatment at nearby VA hospitals or other facilities. These facilities help remove the burden of cost as well as provide a homestyle environment during such challenging times. Click to learn more about the Orlando Fisher House. With the event falling over Veterans Day weekend, the timing fits beautifully to introduce more people to this organization as well as support their efforts.
During the media preview, a large variety of event dishes were made available and while they were all incredible, a few in particular captured my attention. Please note that I don’t eat pork or shellfish, so while dishes containing these garnered rave reviews from my peers at the preview, I cannot give you my personal experience with them. Also, there are some differences between the event’s menus each day so if you have your heart set on a particular item, be sure to note its availability.
The creamy spiced labneh (a tangy yogurt) with compressed sweet & juicy Late Harvest Watermelon and marinated tomatoes accented with a bit Frisee (curled endive) and marinated Feta (from Cabana Bar & Beach Club on Friday only) was an incredibly refreshing yet surprisingly filling dish. I enjoyed the tart & creaminess of the labneh paired with the sweet watermelon & tomatoes and a bit of bite from the endive.
The Smoked American Lamb offered a familiar meat prepared in an unfamiliar way. Even if you’re not a lamb fan give this one a try as the style of preparation shifted the flavors. I enjoyed the way the dish’s date puree sweetness coupled with the pickled mustard greens. And while I’m typically not a fan of harissa I tolerated it here within the barbeque sauce, I suspect due to the powerful flavors of the smoked cumin. You’ll find this item at Smokin’ D’s BBQ specialty booth on the event’s first day. Their menu changes Day two to offer a smoked beef rib.
Gorgonzola cheese filled agnolotti with spiced pear, walnuts, nasturtium and ‘Nduja vinaigrette (from Il Mulino on Friday) is a delightfully tasty autumnal dish.
At the Carnival Corner area on Friday & Saturday, you can find the Italian Beef Sandwich. Among my favorites, this was top of that list. Such a simple item but the slow-cooked rib-eye (Sliced Linz Heritage Angus Beef) was amazingly full-flavored. The roll was surprisingly soft and even though moistened a bit with au jus held together well while the vegetables of the Giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) were perfectly crisp not tough with plenty of tanginess.
But my absolute favorite item from the morning would be the Blood Orange & Raspberry Tart (available from Swan & Dolphin Pastry Kitchen both Friday & Saturday). Often a tart like this is a challenge to eat delicately. They can be too big to simply pick up and if you attempt to break it with a fork you find yourself stabbing it repeatedly. But the crust on this tart fell apart beautifully under the fork while the raspberry and blood orange flavors both shone brightly. It had sweet creaminess, a sweet crunch and tangy citrus moments.
In addition to the main event on the Causeway between the Swan and Dolphin on November 11th, they will host the VIP Champagne & Dessert Party at The Vue, the Swan Reserve’s 15th-floor event space, offering desserts and champagne while taking in the sights and fireworks from around Walt Disney World. We had the opportunity to sample a couple of items from the menu accompanying your bubbly beverages and both were impressive – one savory, one sweet.
The Raspberry Moon is a red raspberry mousse on an almond shortbread, topped with white chocolate whipped ganache alongside a nitro Ginger ice Cream and caramelized almonds, (Vegetarian, Contains Nuts). Unfortunately for me, the caramelized almonds unpleasantly overpowered the incredible shortbread and mousse. However, they were alongside it as served so after my first bites I set them aside to enjoy the desserts’ other tasty elements.
And finally, you’ll enjoy all the flavors of a Reuben Sandwich in the above item. Incredibly packed with layers, the culinary team puts forth a carved corned beef made from their own 15-day brined brisket alongside rye bread with toasted caraway seed puree, an authentic Olde World Sauerkraut made on site with “salt, and fist and time” along with traditional Russian Dressing garnished with gherkin.
With such a wide array of dishes crafted by incredibly talented culinary professionals, you’re sure to find new favorites at the 2023 Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Festival.