In the Summer Time

Good evening everyone and welcome to a late night edition of The Magical Mystery Blog.

This past week Spring sprung all over America and held the nation in a warm embrace. Like any other person who has been sick of the snow and sleet, people revved up their engines and took to the outdoors. Within hours roads were filled with Spring rejoicing drivers and passengers. And as I wound my way down to the shore, I realized why I’ve loved Summer all my life.

3. The Weather

Most people I know hate the Summer weather. The heat drives them insane, the humidity makes them dry as sand, and the sweat caused from it all is disgusting. As for myself, I love the heat; the hotter, the better – just like my spices. While I’m not too fond of the sweat or the humidity at times, I always love the heat. Some of my greatest Summer memories are days spent down in Florida at 113 degrees. I loved those insanely hot days because I wanted to do more outdoors than I would inside during the Winter.

2. More to do, Than Can Ever be Done

The beaches are open, the boardwalks are open, the shops are slowly opening their doors, pretty much any attraction that was frozen by Winter is now ready for business. While the crowds are tame at best for now, the Summer will drive more people to come out, and experience the things they couldn’t during the Winter.

1. The Spirit

There’s something about Summer that liberates one’s mind unlike the other seasons. It’s the spirit of the season that encourages you to be adventurous, to take spontaneous road trips into the great unknown, to do something you never thought of doing, or taking a risk on a small, yet broadening event. It’s the time of the year to throw caution to the wind and rise above the world.

Feel free to reblog and comment, and as always feedback and followers are welcomed. Tonight’s question is:

What do you love about the Summer?

Course by Course

           Greetings everyone and welcome to another entry of The Magical Mystery Blog.

            As mentioned last week in my Disney Magic Monday entry, I’ll be covering different types of eateries throughout the weeks to come. Today I’ll be focusing on the best fast food aka counter service throughout the parks. Some places will have more than others, just like the last entry. No reservations are needed at these walk in eateries. However, most if not all of these places tend to be crowded on a daily basis.

            Some of these eateries also serve alcohol which is great because who doesn’t love a cold one on a hot day? Below are my top counter service eateries to check out next time you’re in Disney World.

First up is the Magic Kingdom where if you wish hard enough, you may find the food of your dreams.

           1)      Casey’s Corner  - get your foot longs here, foot longs here on Main Street U.S.A.! Just before the Castle on the corner of Main Street U.S.A. lies this small eatery dedicated to America’s pastime. Featuring foods like hot dogs, chili, and everything in between you’ll be having a fantastic lunch.

           2)      Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe – with different bays to order at, you have tons of choices at this food court styled eatery. Located in Tomorrowland, this cafe won’t break your wallet with its different selections of chicken, burgers, and other delicious options.

           3)      Columbia Harbor House – tucked away in the Liberty Square section of the Magic Kingdom, this small eatery houses chicken, seafood, and many other dishes. This colonial themed counter service restaurant also updated its menu not too long ago. It now features lobster roll and grilled salmon.

           4)      Pecos Bill Tale Tall Inn & Café –  you can wrassle up some grub at this popular café out on the dusty streets of Frontierland. With the Country Bear Jamboree to its left, you cannot miss this bustling eatery that houses burgers, salads, and some Tex Mex food.

           5)      Be Our Guest – while this was on last Monday’s entry for being a sit down restaurant, it also doubles as a counter service eatery. Offering the same menus as it does for dinner, this Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant lives to serve.

Next is EPCOT where you get to explore a world of flavors and unique dishes.

      6)  Sunshine Seasons Food Fair – feel like eating healthy while you’re on vacation? Then look no further, because this counter service restaurant has just what you’re looking for. Located in the Future World of EPCOT, this place boasts various types of food like chicken, salmon, and many more.

      7) Tangerine Café – this café in the Morocco section of the World Showcase offers huge portions for little price. Specializing in Moroccan food, this eatery has wraps, salads, and filling dishes for any hungry stomach.

      8) Katsura Grill – across from Teppan Edo in the Japan section of the World Showcase, this café offers your typical Japanese dishes. These include different styles of udon (noodles), spring rolls, sushi, and even dessert.

      9) La Cantina de San Angel – hola amigos e amgias! In the mood for Mexican? Then look no further. Right on the lagoon of the World Showcase is this fresh Mexican eatery, offering your traditional Mexican foods of tacos, nachos, burritos, empanadas, and other options.

     10) Yorkshire County Fish Shop – if you’re looking to sample London’s classic snack then is the place for you. This eatery only serves fish and chips, a cookie, and drinks. That’s it. While that may sound like a bad thing, the food here is actually quite tasty, and draws a good crowd. This eatery is found in the United Kingdom section of the World Showcase, right next to the Rose and Crown Pub.

     11) Kringla Bakeri og Café – offering a ton of options of sandwiches and sweets, this little café will warm its way into your heart and stomach. Located in the Norway part of the World Showcase across from Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, this miniature eatery won’t destroy your wallet, and houses some Norwegian classic pastries like lefse and rullekake.


Third, Hollywood Studios where the food is always the main support to your magic filled day.

     12) Starring Rolls Café – near the Hollywood Brown Derby, this miniature eatery offers sushi, sandwiches, and even unique cupcakes. Not only does this café have food to satisfy your stomach but your sweet tooth as well.

     13) ABC Commissary –along Commissary Lane, this food court offers different options to ease your hunger. Here they serve specialties like quinoa, seafood, and even an Asian salad among other dishes. This eatery also shows clips of ABC sponsored shows like Modern Family, America’s Funniest Home Videos, and many others all to entertain you while you eat.

     14) Fairfax Fare – Beneath the shadowy Tower of Terror lies this eatery, themed to look like an outdoor Californian market. Serving up your typical Americana food of burgers, chicken, barbecue dishes, and more, this restaurant offers shade and tons of seats for you to relax in. Unlike other counter service locations, this one also offers breakfast up until lunch time.

    15) Studio Catering Co – lights, camera, food! Dine beneath the shade of this food court styled eatery located right next to Honey I Shrunk the Kids play set. With different choices of sandwiches, wraps, and salads you cannot go wrong at this inexpensive restaurant.

Fourth, Animal Kingdom where your food is wild.

    16) Flame Tree Barbeque – if you feel like getting in touch with your inner dinosaur, then this is the place to do it. Serving up half a pound of ribs for only $10.49, you’ll tear into the food here like a tyrannosaurus rex through a triceratops. Of course this place offers other options like chicken and much more.

     17) Anadapur Yak and Yeti Restaurant – seated in depths of Asia, this food court restaurant offers ethnic foods such as beef lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, and others. For those who aren’t a fan of foreign foods, this eatery also serves sandwiches and salads.

     18)  Restaurantosaurus – if your stomach isn't roaring at the sound of this eatery, then wait til you step inside. In the heart of Dino Land U.S.A., this food court styled restaurant gives you protection from the monstrous sun. Offering various delicious dishes like cheeseburgers (cause who doesn't love a good cheeseburger in the summer time), po’ boys, salads, and many others, this eatery will calm your carnivorous hunger.

    19) Tusker House Restaurant – I was conflicted to put this on last week’s entry or this week’s entry. I decided to put it here because it’s a buffet, where you do sit down but you get your own food – much like you would at a counter service eatery. This food court style restaurant boasts a combination of African and American foods and drinks.  Foreign foods include curry chicken, seafood stirred with tamarind barbecue sauce, and many others. For those who like to stray away from different foods, they have tons of rotisserie meats, salads, and vegetables.

    20) Anywhere with churros – this is not the name of a restaurant, this is just a word to the wise. Churros taste like the wings of angels if they were plucked from the sky, toasted in cinnamon, and given the texture of clouds. If you see a snack vendor selling churros anywhere in the parks (Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and/or EPCOT), do yourself a favor and get one. Maybe two or three if you really enjoy them.

This concludes this week’s entry on counter service throughout the parks. If you have any comments or questions about anything at Walt Disney World, please feel free to comment. If you also have any suggestions of what you would like to see me write, comment as well. Until the next entry, have a magical week. 

I Never Had a S'more.

Happy belated Fourth of July everyone!

I can imagine most of you this weekend are grilling it up, boozing it up, and taking part in other summer fun activities.  At barbecues, you have the usual food of hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, corn, pork chops, and other delicious delights.  As for dessert, most of you may stick to the popsicles or ice cream. However, some may venture to create and indulge in a dessert I had only ever tasted this summer: a s’more.

Twenty two years old and I just had my first s’more this summer. Most of you who have had a s’more when you were a child, might find this awkward, and even strange. I believe the same thing.

You see, I was brought up in an Italian family where pasta was our main dietary staple (next to fish but after watching The Little Mermaid at a young age, I decided to never eat any seafood for the rest of my life). In this Italia household, we never had such delicacies as s’mores. We had desserts like biscotti, tiramisu, rum cake, and tons of other treats to clog your arteries.

WARNING: Even looking at it will cause your arteries to swell.

This is not to say I hated my Italian sweets (except biscotti which to me is dry bread). Honestly, I loved them but they could not compare to the deliciousness the television showed me. Every time a Hershey’s summer commercial came on, time slowed, and revealed a glorious new world. This unknown planet included teenagers laughing and prancing around a bonfire on the beach and eating those warm, gooey sugar rushes. Alongside wanting to be a writer, a model, an astronaut, and a ballerina, I wanted to fit in with that s’mores lovin crowd.

Of course, I tried to get my parents to make me a s’more. To this day, I’ll never understand why they didn't. I don’t know if it was anti-s’mores aliens persuading them not to or the fact that s’mores are not an Italian dessert.  So, naturally, I attempted to see what a s’more tasted like by buying s’mores flavored foods. Pop tarts, candies, bars, nothing compared to what the television depicted, and I feared my s’mores-sweet tooth would never be satisfied.

Years had passed and every time I told someone I never had a smores, I was always met with the same reactions: Are you crazy!? What’s wrong with you?! Why!? Who are you!? Why are you in my house!?

I had gotten used to the responses and even my boyfriends asked the same questions. Eventually my quest for s’mores had been buried beneath the responsibilities of work, the expectations of college, and life in general.  It wasn't until the start of this past June that my s’mores sweet tooth reared its sugar coated crown and rejuvenated my want for the treat.

Thankfully, my boyfriend had planned a barbecue dinner, and while shopping for the ingredients, I suggested the idea of s’mores. He happily agreed we should make some because I never had one before and it had been a while since he had one. 

After a simple barbecue dinner of hot dogs and pork chops, the preparation of s’mores commenced. Goosebumps rose up my arms despite the warmth of the charcoal as we roasted our marshmallows. The lifelong childhood desires were slowly being fulfilled with every passing second. The puffy cloud on the silver skewer began to brown, wisps of smoke arising from the circular tip. It was time.

Sliding the toasted fluff between a stick of chocolate and two graham crackers, the anticipation neared its peak. Pressing down on the crackers, the marshmallow spilled out onto the sides. The heat traveled through the toasted fluff and pushed against the crackers, tearing through the chocolate stick. Without hesitation, I took the treat between my hands, and bit into it like a starved man left to die in the Sahara Desert.

Never had I bitten into something so simply delicious.

Behold the ultimate dessert! Gaze upon it as you drool with wonder and hunger!

An explosion of euphoria tumbled onto my mouth, releasing a smoky sweetness that soothed my sweet tooth. The heat from the charcoal swirled about the treat and coated my cheeks in a pleasant warmth.  The cracker crumbled beneath the trampling of my teeth as the chocolate slipped in. The harmony of marshmallow, graham cracker, and chocolate created a symphony of deliciousness in my mouth. Each bite released another note of flavor that I adored and enticed me to continue eating.

With every bite, I sadly watched my childhood desire fade but at the same time, I greatly enjoyed it. My s’more sweet tooth was calmed with the final bite, as a summer time smile crept across my face. At last my s’more quest had come to an end and even though there was no beach or bonfire, I couldn't have been happier.

To those who have had a s'more as a child, treasure that moment and continue to devour s'mores whenever they are present. For there may be those who have never had a s'more like me and are still choking back artificial s'more flavored treats. If you know someone who is s'more deprived, teach them how to make this little treat or make one for them. Their smile will be the best reward you can ever obtain.