| Commissioner's Academic Challenge - 2008 |
| April 10-12, 2008 |
| Wednesday, April 9, 2008 |
| The 23rd Commissioner's Academic Challenge, Tom's 12th, was at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. This annual event is a competition among the school districts of Florida and affords us another opportunity to enjoy the fine WDW cuisine. To learn more about the tournament, click here. We secured the convention room rate and drove down to WDW on Saturday, April 5, for a few days of frolic before the tournament. |
| Today is the Dreaded Day, followed by dinner at Flying Fish |
| Flying Fish |
| We took the monorail from the Contemporary Hotel to the Magic Kingdom and then a bus to the Boardwalk Hotel. From there, it was a short walk to the Boardwalk and the Flying Fish. When we arrived, the staff quickly recognized our presence and spread the word to the staff.
It really was impressive.
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| Larry, the bartender, is gone from the Flying Fish, but Lorna, from Glasgow, made the best Manhattan I've ever had. Dennis
at the CG is in 2nd place!
Craig also took very good care of us |
Lyd started with a Vodka Martini (7.25) and
Tom had the 1st of 2 Maker's Mark Manhattans (8) |
Tim Keating, the Chef de Cuisine of the Flying Fish, stopped by for a visit and also presented us with a marvelous starter of chopped salmon and other ingredients I can't name. Perhaps he'll write and tell us what's in it!
It was great! |
Lyd enjoyed the soup of the day, Aged Sherry-laced Maryland She Crab Crema with sweet blue crab, sweet spring onion, yellow tomato and opal basil and roasted garlic crostini (9).
She said it was very good. |
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Lyd had glass of Castello Banfi Brachetto D'Aqui Rosa Régalé, Piedmont '02 (12) |
| We each had our own order of Crispy Sesame and Togarashi-scented Calamari with spiced green papaya, wakame and fragrant vegetables and asian dipping sauce. (13)
This is a signature dish of FF and very enjoyable. I prefer the Vietnamese
dipping sauce which doesn't have the soy in it. |
Lyd enjoyed Chilled Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp with frisée, watermelon radish, spiced hearts of palm, creamy verde sauce, and chive-infused oil. (15).
Real shrimp are so much better than the farm-raised junk, |
Tom chose the chef's special thunder entrée of Pan-roasted central Florida day-boat Golden Tile with tiger shrimp, tiny artichokes, spring peas, pearl onions, spicy greens, blood orangem joliet
tomato, fines herbs and caper Meunière (36). It is hard to come to FF and
ignore the chef special ... just not good sense. |
Finally, we split Warm Valrhona Chocolate Bread Pudding with dark chocolate gelato, hazelnut tuile rasberries and sauce mosaic. (8) |
A nice local couple shared the counter with us. He, a surgeon, was so interested in my Manhattan, he ordered one as well. If they write to us, we'll know who they are!
They were nice people, but are still strangers. |
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