When I was little and we went to Epcot, the only exciting part of the day was going to the Rose and Crown or the Yorkshire County Fish Shop window. There I would get my fish and chips with tartar sauce and malt vinegar. That would keep me happy for a while so that my parents could enjoy the rest of Epcot. I did not fully understand and appreciate all that was Epcot. This of course has changed as I’ve gotten older and can appreciate the World Showcase.
However when I found out that I had Celiac Disease I was devastated when I realized that meant I couldn’t make my traditional stop for fish and chips. For a while I avoided Rose and Crown thinking that there would be nothing else that I would want that could make me forget how good the fish and chips were. However when we went down for our honeymoon in July my husband and I decided to give it another try, and I am very grateful that we did.
The Rose and Crown Pub has the allergy friendly menu that some of the restaurants were starting to implement. This menu shows not only what’s gluten free but also egg, nut, and fish free as well. I was also given the regular menu because they said they may be able to alter what was on the regular menu to make it gluten free if there was something I would prefer from that menu. I stuck with the allergy friendly menu though to make sure that I got something that was definitely gluten free and if I liked it I knew I could get it again.
We decided to start our meal with the United Kingdom Cheese Platter and the Crock of Potato Leek Soup. The cheese platter came with three cheeses, a Stilton, an Irish Cheddar, and a Cotswold Cheese. The cheeses also came with some pickled vegetables and an onion jam. The cheeses were delicious; I wish we had asked if there was a place we could get some to take home with us. My poor husband didn’t get to eat much of it because I enjoyed it so much. If you know me, then you know I love potatoes. I would eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I could. It was an easy choice picking the potato leek soup, and it never lets me down. It is creamy and delicious, and I had to be really careful not to eat the whole thing so I could share it with my husband who loves it just as much.
For dinner I ordered the Vegetable Cottage Pie. There was Fish and Chips on the menu, however they would lack the beer batter that I knew I would want. My husband got the fish and chips from the regular menu and assured me that they were no good, which for him means they were delicious he just didn’t want me to feel bad. I’ll tell you though; I didn’t feel bad at all not getting my usual fish and chips. I was completely blown away with my dinner. I did not feel like I was missing anything by having a meatless dish for dinner. The potatoes were creamy, cheesy, and smooth with the slightest crust on the top of it for texture. Inside was a smooth, velvety mixture of mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and celery. I couldn’t stop eating it! I was so pleased and in such a daze that I forgot to ask the chef for the recipe, but fear not, I will be asking for it during my next trip!
After eating almost two whole appetizers and my entrée, unfortunately I was too full for a dessert. I don’t think that is such a bad thing though, since it speaks to the deliciousness and quality of the meal. On the allergy friendly menu they do have two desserts, a fruit salad, or an English trifle that looked delicious.
I am so glad that we gave the Rose and Crown a chance and it will be another restaurant that we will frequent a lot more often, like Be Our Guest. I highly recommend Rose and Crown for lunch or dinner to anyone who happens to be in Epcot. Also keep in mind if there were things you used to love, give some new things a chance. You never know, they could become your new favorites.
Until next time friends, have faith and trust in your old favorites, but let Tink sprinkle some pixie dust on some new food to try as well!
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Jess was born and raised on Long Island, New York but once college began so did her adventures. She’s lived in Florida, Wisconsin, and now South Carolina. Her family is part of the Disney Vacation Club and has been visiting since she was a little girl, and continuously goes every year. Besides being a big Disney fan she has also been a Disney Cast Member working in Magic Kingdom, and she counts it as one of the most magical experiences. She worked with everyone’s favorite elephant Dumbo, Cinderella’s Carousel, and Mickey’s Philharmagic. Jess has also visited Disneyland, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, and gone on two Disney Cruises. She has so many great memories from Disney besides running half marathons and 5ks, birthday parties, and family reunions. If asked where she would want to go it is almost always Disney, and when asked why, it is almost always because she can eat awesome gluten free food! And it doesn’t hurt that there is always faith, trust, and pixie dust with magic in the air!
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