I didn't grow up eating "exotic" foods. Which is not a criticism... so many memories of meals I loved growing up. One of my favorites was my mom's Spanish rice. I can remember watching her make it, but I have no idea what was in it. It wasn't at all spicy (which was perfect for me at the time) but it had a deliciously tomato sauce taste that was great. I have tried dozens of recipes for "Spanish rice" over the years, but have never duplicated the taste that's burned into my brain. Maybe one day.

Once I became a vegetarian in 1986 my meal options were radically reduced. The majority of foods I ate were meat-based, and finding alternatives was a never-ending pursuit (such as using rice instead of beef in tacos). Ultimately I had a very small set of foods that I kept coming back to over and over.

But then I started traveling quite a bit.

Suddenly I was exposed to all kinds of vegetarian foods I had never eaten before. Heck, many of them I had never heard of before. One of the most important to come along? Falafel. I fell in love with it instantly, and have been eating it constantly ever since. It was an introduction to spices I'd never had, and over the years I've made my food spicier and spicier. Using more and different spices I come across. Now I've got quite a collection...

And while I bought falafel mixes to start, now I make my own spicy falafel that I love...

But because you have to soak the chickpeas overnight (canned doesn't hold together, you have to start from dried). So a lot of times I found myself craving falafel I wasn't able to make it. Which is why I now freeze the stuff in bags so I can fry it up any time...

I don't have money to spend for Black Friday this year, but I'm going to try and find a vacuum sealer so that freezer burn doesn't reduce the life of my frozen falafel because of freezer burn.

Though I do make it spicy, so a little freezer burn probably won't be noticed.

As it should be.

Now that the heat is on at my house, I am warm enough to blog again... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Poh-Tay-Toh! One of my favorite YouTube series is the Epicurious Pro Chefs Taste Tests. I obsess over them because the chefs they get are always great. But my favorite is Jack Logue because he's kinda a void for most of the video... but when he likes something, you know it because he breaks on it. When he finds fries he likes, it's pretty great...

I waffle between Lamb Weston and McCain Foods USA depending on what's on sale, so it's good to know I'm buying the best. Though, to be honest, I am badly addicted to McCain Hashbrown Patties and tend to eat them over fries now-a-days. If you like cooking videos, these are worth a look.

   
• The Oven Bakes Again! My replacement oven arrived and it's very much like my old oven with the same basic features. But it does have one very big difference I love. The stovetop is a solid sheet! No gap filled with rubber to collect crumbs and gunk! It'll be so easy to keep clean!

Other than that, it's an oven. It'll be nice to be able to bake bread again.

   
• The Bold Failure of Kohler! I really hate having messy hands in the kitchen while cooking and needing to turn on the faucet, then getting the faucet all gunked up. So when I remodeled my kitchen, I bought a fancy touchless faucet and paid a plumber to install it. Four-and-a-half years later, and the "touchless" part of my "Bold Look of Kohler" failed. I was going to swtich brands, but stuck with Kohler so I wouldn't have to pay to have it installed. Instead I could use most of what was already under the cabinet, and just replace the main faucet part. The model I had isn't made any more, so I bought one that was similar. And of course Kohler changed everything, meaning I had to start over from scratch any way. And it was more difficult this time because they made some stupid fucking design decisions. Oh well. Saved myself $500 in installation charges I don't have after buying a new oven and a new touchless faucet.

   
• Thunderbolts*! I haven't been this excited for a Marvel Studios movies film since Avengers: Endgame. This looks great!

   
• Cap! And this?!? Also looks very cool!

   
• Star Wars Trilogy Redux! Simon Kinberg has been put in charge of writing a new trilogy of Star Wars movies. And I'm like Simon Kinberg? Hmmm. I mean, he did write gems like Mr. & Mrs. Smith and co-created Star Wars: Rebels... but he's got LOADS of absolute shit on his résumé as well. X-Men: The Last Stand? SHIT! Jumper? TOTAL SHIT! This Means War? SHIT! Fant4stic Four? HEINOUS PILES OF SHIT ON SHIT! X-Men: Apocalypse? ASPIRES TO BE SHIT! X-Men: Dark Phoenix? CAN ONLY DREAM OF BEING AS GOOD AS COPIOUS PILES OF SHIT! — Ugh. This does not sound promising at all. If I am confident of one thing, Kathleen Kennedy is going to continue her streak of shitty fucking Star Wars films. I still marvel that Rogue One and Solo managed to turn out as well as they did given how the sequel trilogy and the last Indiana Jones movie were mostly SHIT! And while I've enjoyed the Star Wars television shows, only Andor is quality enough that I can honestly say I love it. The rest have great moments, but don't satisfy as a whole. The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte could have been SO much better. And last season of The Mandalorian is tired. I sincerely hope that movie doesn't suck.

   
• ! Speaking of some of the best Star Wars ever, the second season of Andor has been given a start date: April 22, 2025. So long to go. But I'm confident it will be worth the wait. The first season is some of the best television I've ever seen.

   
And now I should probably climb in bed and try to get some sleep since I totally failed at it last night.

I may have finally turned the heat on to make my cats happy, but never fear, I still have money left to blog... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Bread! Yesterday I baked a loaf of bread for a neighbor, but since my oven is broke I had to make it one of those flat loaves and bake it in my toaster over. It turns out pretty great, all things considered. But then all I could think of was freshly-baked bread, so I checked to see if my starter was good to go, and...

Bread for me today. Except I actually made rolls, because I figured it would be easier to make sliders or little sandwiches that way. =sigh= I sure hope that there's some really good deals on ovens for Black Friday... or, more likely, for President's Day. I want to be able to bake stuff again.

   
• Winner Winner! My favorite game show is Pyramid (which started as The $10,000 Pyramid). I remember watching it with my mom when I was a kid, though I think by then it was The $25,000 Pyramid

(they kept upping the dollar amount until it became The $100,000 Pyramid). The show is at its best when somebody has won the team-to-team battle and moves to "The Winner's Circle" to try and win a big prize with their celebrity teammate. It's one of the most stressful situations you'll see as that clock counts down and they rush to get all six answers correct. And I love that. The show came back in 2016 with Michael Strahan as host, and I've watched every episode. And whenever there's a video of a "The Winner's Circle" run that pops up on YouTube or TikTok, I watch it. This morning there's was a compilation video of only winning runs that popped up, and I watched every second of it...

What's surprising to me is that even though you know all of these runs are winning runs, it's still stressful! There's some great players on here. Noticeably missing is Rachel Dratch, who is spooky-good at the game...

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I kinda wish there was a way to play that game for everyday people. I mean, sure, they've made home versions over the years, but it's not the same experience as pairing up with a celebrity on a show stage with an audience and playing. Guess I'll just have to apply one day or something.

   
• And Speaking of Game Shows... There's loads of game shows out of the UK that I obsess over. The two most notable being Taskmaster and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Absolutely nobody does game shows like the Brits when they are celebrity competitions. Nobody. Since there's no real contestants and just famous people having a laugh, it gets absolutely bonkers, and is so much fun to watch. Take for example...

I don't know why we don't do more of this kind of thing on our side of the pond.

   
• Early Days! Somebody shared this video of gymnast Ian Gunther asking other gymnasts he's performing with to sign a photo for him... but it's not a current photo, it's a photo of them when they were young...

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The reactions are priceless. I love stuff like this.

   
• Stranger Things! Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness grossed nearly a billion dollars worldwide and had a brilliant teaser for a sequel when Clea showed up in the post-credits scene. But the most exciting part? Somehow they got frickin' Charlize Theron to play Clea!

So where is Doctor Strange 3 on the development slate? We keep hearing about new Avengers movies, new Spider-Man movies and the like... but no sequel to a near-billion dollar film that people are dying to see? Is Kevin Feige still in charge at Marvel Studios? What's going on there?

   
• And speaking of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Doctor Strage... You can't put this much thought into super-hero movies...

Wanda was done pretty dirty. I mean, yeah, I get it... kinda compelling to have an innocent hero get corrupted in a way that makes them become a villain. And Wanda did turning to The Darkhold would only speed up that process. But come on! The Scarlet Witch has been abused to death in the MCU, and it's beyond bizarre that they don't seem to be interested in redemption for the character. I keep hoping that this will be rectified... maybe it will happen in the Vision Quest mini-series... but the longer they wait the more it seems like nobody cares.

   
• NEWS: A Pregnant Teenager Died After Trying to Get Care in Three Visits to Texas Emergency Rooms! So much blood on these asshole's hands, and yet NONE OF THEIR SUPPORTERS GIVE A SHIT! This country hates women. HATES them. Their only purpose is breeding stock to make more labor and more cult members. Other than that? Oh it's always "Oh well" and moving on to more death.

As I'm typing this, somebody on Facebook just commented "...if women die because of a problem with the baby, that's God's will." And I am like, if absolutely everything that happens is God's will and He's an all-powerful being Who can make anything a reality, then why didn't God just design it so that terminating a pregnancy for any reason results in immediate death? If He's God, then He could absolutely have designed it to work that way, right? — Then the conversation spiraled into "the devil" and "temptation" and "God's wrath" and every other bullshit thing you can think of from a person with no critical thinking skills who hasn't studied the Bible even a little bit. I am so fucking tired of this shit.

   
And now back to my toasty 72° homestead.

There's two brands that I'm loyal to. Apple and Ninja Kitchen. That's it.

If I need a kitchen appliance, I see if Ninja has one and then just buy that. No wasting my time comparison shopping because everything I've ever purchased from them has been great and fairly priced. Ugly but great.

Anyway... My mom's Cuisinart, which she bought in the 80's, still works great but the canister is cracking and I can't get a replacement. So I just bought a new Ninja. And it arrived today. THIS THING IS A BEAST! AND THE QUAD BLADES ARE SCARY AS SHIT! THIS IS NOT A FOOD PROCESSOR... IT IS WHIRLING BLADES OF TOTAL DEATH AND DESTRUCTION!

Literally scared of it.

Terrified of it. Those blades are no joke.

But... on the other hand, I'll bet it'll process the fuck out of my food, so there's that. I mean, just look at this model I got. IT HOLDS TWELVE CUPS!!! I think the old one I had maybe held 5 cups? 6 cups? Crazy. Guess I'll be cleaning out my appliance cupboard so I can make space for it.

Can't wait to pulverize the fuck out of some garbanzo beans to make falafel... or shred the fuck out of some cheese when I'm in a non-vegan mood. Ooh! And salsa! I can make salsa by the shitload now!

As I mentioned way too many times, my favorite thing to do at Walt Disney World is eat. I love their beautifully-themed, over-priced, high-end restaurants which have delicious food.

But I also like the snacky things... like the churros, popcorn, and fries. It's all good because you're in Walt Disney World. But you know the one snack thing that I love more than any other? Dole Whip. My favorite is the original Pineapple Dole Whip you can get in Adventureland. But there's also Orange Bird's Sunshine Tree Terrace, which has Orange and other flavors (like Strawberry). Disney Springs and some of the Disney hotels also have various varieties of Dole Whip... all of them very tasty.

I had mentioned to my friends who actually work at the resort how I was sad I couldn't have a Dole Whip Float whenever I want... and how jealous I was that they could have it whenever they want.

They're response? "Oh but you can!"

And they gifted me a big bag of Dole Whip mix (that they got on Amazon)...

The stuff is dairy-free and vegan, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, and totally delicious. All you have to do is mix it with water! The bag makes 89 servings(!) and is meant to be run through a soft-serve machine. I don't have one of those, but I do have a Ninja CREAMi machine. You just mix 2 cups of water with 2/3 cup of mix, freeze it in the CREAMi canister overnight, then run it through on the "Frozen Yogurt" setting. Simple.

And it tastes exactly like what you get at Walt Disney World. Probably because it is what you get at Disney World. You can pipe it through a big star-tip if you want it to look more like Dole Whip, but it'll take practice to make it swirl correctly...

Don't worry, my swirl with get better as I work on it!

   
There's also a "copycat" recipe floating around which you can make in your blender (if you don't have a soft serve or CREAMi machine) that we tried...

• 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
• 2 cups of frozen pineapple chunks
• 4oz. of pineapple juice

It's tasty... but not as sweet as the real stuff (which might be a plus for some people). It tastes much more like actual pineapple than Dole Whip does. It also lacks the various stabilizers and gums which makes the original so darn creamy. We struggled to get my Ninja Blender to mix the stuff properly, so we ended up mixing in more pineapple juice. I think if I would have used more ice cream with it, then it might have tasted more authentic. For what it is, it's a terrific treat. But it ain't Dole Whip.

So...

If you love Dole Whip like I do, buying the actual mix will get you there. If you don't have a soft serve or CREAMi machine, you might try freezing the mixture in ice cube trays and pulverizing the cubes in a blender or food processor with a little pineapple juice to try and get it to work that way.

Then close your eyes, take a bite, and you're at a Disney park!

I'm too tired to write but not too tired to blog... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Smith! When people think of the late, great Dame Maggie Smith, I'm betting it's either her roles in Downton Abbey and Harry Potter that come to mind. But I didn't like anything to do with Harry Potter and wasn't a fan of Downton Abbey. For me, it's the many, many smaller roles I love her for. She had a small role in The First Wives Club that was wonderfully savage. Her smallest look and every motion was flawless...

Her talent was endless... Sister Act, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, California Suite, the original (and superior) Death on the Nile. The list goes on and on. This interview is worth your valuable time to watch...

An absolute gem. You will be sorely missed.

   
• Dame Sir Dame? I would be badly remiss if I didn't post this amazing skit of Sir Ian McKellen as Dame Maggie Smith on SNL from years ago...

Will never not be hilarious.

   
• Ashton! When it comes to character actors, John Ashton is one for the books. He popped up in unexpected places all the time. But it was the role of John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop films that cemented him in pop culture history...

Another loss for Hollywood. Rest in Peace, sir.

   
• NEWS: Walmart self-checkout mistake destroys Olympic athlete's career. Not only are stores like Walmart asking you to work for them by scanning your own groceries... they seek to imprison you if you scan them wrong or their machines fails to read the scan. Because, you know, WE'RE ALL FUCKING EXPERTS WHEN IT COMES TO BEING A GROCERY CHECKER... BEING FORCED TO DO A JOB WE WERE NEVER TRAINED FOR! — I hope she sues them for a billion dollars and wins. This kind of shit drives me insane.

   
• Mickey's Balls! Franklin Farms makes some really good vegan products, and a really good one is their "Black Bean & Plantain Balls." When I saw them in the grocery store this last week, I was surprised to see that they are now being promoted by Mickey Mouse...

Which just goes to show that Disney will slap their intellectual property on anything. Because money, I guess. I do question the benefit that Franklin Farms is going to get by this branding partnership. Do they think that kids are going to see Mickey in the refrigerator case and scream "MOM! DAD! I WANT MICKEY'S BALLS!" or something? I don't get it. But whatever. Mickey's balls are pretty tasty when served over rice...

Of course, I'm a sucker for Cuban-style meals, so my opinion is far from biased.

   
• Asano! Oh man. There's so many exceptional international actors that I love, and it always makes my heart grind that most Americans will never know their work. I'm so happy that Tadanobu Asano is getting recognized for his craft and that Americans could see him at work in Shōgun! Which he talks about in this terrific interview...

Congratulations on the Hollywood Reporter Japan’s Trailblazer Award, sir! I've been a fan for quite a while!

   
• Hold Me Now, Now! Oh boy! The Thompson Twins are releasing a 40th Anniversary Edition of Into the Gap, remixed in Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. They released a teaser track for Hold Me Now that's really nice (though a few odd choices were made in the mix that surprised me). Super Deluxe Edition is releasing a Blu-Ray Audio with 30 bonus tracks to commemorate the occasion, and I don't think I've ever pressed an "ORDER" button so fast...

One of my favorite albums ever. Can't believe it's FORTY YEARS OLD! I don't want to think about how old that makes me.

   
And now I think I should probably turn in early. Really hope I'm not too tired to sleep.

A couple weeks ago I was looking for something on this blog and ran across an entry I wrote in 2010(!). Apparently I didn't have a lot to talk about fourteen years ago, because I wrote about some of my current favorite foods, including... Pink Lady Apples, Frosted Flakes, Craisins, Pretzel Thins, and CHEESE TOASTWICHES from Schwan's! These cheese sandwiches were cooked in your toaster and were darn tasty. I'm not kidding when I say that I'd average one package a day. Running late and need something quick for breakfast? Toastwiches. Need an easy lunch? Toastwiches. Too tired to cook dinner? Toastwiches. Midnight snack? Toastwiches.

My brain immediately went "Oh yeah! I wonder whatever happened to Schwan's?"

There was a time I loved that the Schwan's would pull up to my work once a week and offer quality frozen vegetarian options without my having to go to the store. But then they started raising their prices to an alarming degree and adding bullshit extra charges. Like a FUEL CHARGE?!? Dude, delivery is your entire deal, why the fuck are you adding a FUEL CHARGE instead of building into the cost of your products? Oh, I know, you want to try and camouflage the real cost of your stuff. Well, no thanks.

But I did end up looking up Schwan's because I was curious how much a box of Toastwiches was going for.

Turns out that Schwan's was re-branded Yelloh! in 2022. And they no longer sell Cheese Toastwiches, something I posted to Facebook after I found out...

   

And today it was announced that Yelloh! is shutting down operations.

When I think of how Schwan's went to the massive expense to re-brand the business and all those delivery trucks only two years ago, I can't help but wonder if the cash required ended up hastening their demise.

It's a real shame that these legacy companies that were once something I once loved are slowly disappearing. But, when I think to how my love for them isn't current and rooted in the past, I get it.

I'd pour out a Cheese Toastwich in Schwan's honor... but, well...

Long before the candle parties, makeup parties, sex toy parties, and home decor parties, were Tupperware parties. I remember them very well. Every other month or so one of the moms on the block would host a party where the neighborhood would gather to see all the latest wares from a goliath plastic food container company so they could order stuff to make their lives easier (and keep their foods fresher).

Personally I hated Tupperware because the containers would easily warp and stain... and the soft plastic would scratch with little effort, always making me wonder how much plastic was ending up in our food. My mom still had a bunch of the stuff when I cleaned out here cupboards... all of it warped, stained, and scratched.

With the exception of this thing, which I kept and still use from time to time...

Guaranteed delicious microplastics in every bite!

Today it was announced that Tupperware is bankrupt.

Which isn't too shocking. Who has time for food storage parties when you can just order cheap crap from Amazon and get on with your life? Or, if you're me, replace as much kitchen stuff as possible with glass and metal (well, except for stuff that sits out on the counter because I have cats).

Still... I do have some fond Tupperware memories too. It would be tough growing up in 1970's rural America and not have fond memories.

There were the Tupperware popcicle molds which you could fill with Kool-Aid (or Jell-O or Jell-O Pudding, if you were bougie). There was the Tupperware cereal keeper containers which made it so that your Fruit Loops didn't go stale as fast. There was that famous Tupperware cake taker that got pulled out when grandma was taking a cake somewhere and you got excited for a slice.

But then there was everything else, which usually meant you were getting gross leftovers instead of new deliciousness. That's the darker side of my childhood that most people don't want to discuss. Though, as an adult who has to actually pay for my own food, I'm thrilled to have modern food storage technology!

I'd just prefer that my food not be stored in plastic and cost a fortune, so I guess childhood memories are all the Tupperware I need.

If I were to have a regret over my trip to Walt Disney World, it would be that I didn't go to the Polynesian Village Resort for Tonga Toast, and I didn't get any Spicy Hummus Fries from Spice Road Table in Epcot's Morocco Pavilion.

Everything else I wanted to do (namely ride all the attractions which came out after my list visit and eat at some of my favorite places) I did. I try not to have regrets in life, but... Enter Copycat Recipes.
   

Tonga Toast

This amazing breakfast treat hails from the two breakfast restaurants at Polynesian Village Resort is pretty simple. Take a really thick slice of sourdough bread, cut a pocket in one side, shove banana slices in it, then dredge in a egg/milk/vanilla wash, deep fat fry, then coat in a cinnamon-sugar mix.

It's incredible.

I looked at three separate copycat recipes and came up with my own vegan version which uses almond milk for regular milk and egg substitute for eggs. No, it's not going to be an exact flavor match, but the milk/egg thing isn't a big part of the flavor profile, so it's perfectly fine. But the bigger difference in my recipe? I am not using a massive slice of bread because I would have to drag out my deep fat fryer to cook it. Instead I will use "regular-thick" bread and put the bananas and sugar on top because that will only require an inch of oil in a small skillet.

The result was darn tasty...

Now, I want to be very clear. I didn't cheat this. I didn't blast a skillet with cooking spray and fry it up like you'd normally make French Toast. I did indeed use enough oil to cover the toast, then submerged it so it was deep fat fried. Because it's the slow deep fat frying that gives it a different, crispy texture which is superior to regular French Toast. So good.

I was going to bake the bananas a bit to simulate the cooking that bananas get being inside the bread in real Tonga Toast, but ultimate passed on that because it occurred to me that the bananas in real Tonga Toast have so much bread around them that they don't get very cooked. Just warned a bit.

Maybe next time I'll bake a loaf of sourdough, pull out the deep fat fryer, and do this up right. But probably not, because what I ended up with had all the taste that I wanted out of real Tonga Toast.
   

Spicy Hummus Fries

While more like "mini falafel loaves" than "hummus fries," these fantastic staples of the Morocco Pavilion finally got a permanent home at Spice Road Table restaurant (after being a dish at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival). The first time I tried them in 2017, I ate double-orders for lunch and dinner most days I was there. They're heavenly. I love falafel, so it's not a shock that I love these vegan treats. What makes them different than falafel is the addition of spicy spices and the vegan chipotle mayo sauce, which takes them to the next level.

I only found one copycat recipe. And while the results from their recipe are pretty close, the sauce is different, but not bad at all. Overall, I really liked this recipe, and will absolutely be making them again...

Kinda like a falafel pita sandwich without the pita, I guess?

And now I really need to set aside Walt Disney World and get back to my Real Life. If that's even possible.

Continuing on with my recent trip to Walt Disney World... I've mentioned a few times how one of my most favorite things to do at Disney World is eat. I may not have always done attractions each time I had work there, but I did eat at the resort every single time. Not only are many of the restaurants, you know, actually good... they're also imaginative, unique, and fun too. Everything from a simple churro to a full-on gourmet meal can be had at the most magical place on earth, and they're all pretty easy to get to if you're staying there. Sure it can be an expensive prospect, but if you're careful it can be worth it.

My Top Twenty places to eat at Walt Disney World (that can accommodate my vegetarian diet and mostly don't force me into a buffet or fixed price menu) are here (keeping in mind that menus change, restaurants change, and all that... though I did try to double-check that if the name changed that I had the right place and food). Sorry if your favorite is not on here. Odds are it's just because I stopped going to WDW regularly in 2019 and have missed a lot!

1. La Hacienda de San Angel (Mexico Pavilion, Epcot) If you've ever been inside the pyramid in the Mexico Pavilion (likely to ride the Three Caballeros ride that's badly in need of a refresh... like what they did for Maelstrom when it became Frozen Ever After and is now a massive hit), you know how beautiful it is. Bathed in perpetual twilight as night is falling, there's a night market and restaurant that's lit up so beautifully. But the wonderful atmosphere would be worthless for a restaurant if the food sucked. Fortunately, the food is actually very good, and the drinks are top-shelf. On top of that, the staff works with you to have a great meal. I wasn't feeling the Huarache Vegetariano this time, so I asked if I could get the guacamole and chips without the meat and the Queso Fundido without the meat and our server was happy to accommodate me. That. along with their La Cava Avocado drink (which is sublime) and I was set for a fantastic dinner.
2. Tutto Italia (Italy Pavilion, Epcot). My favorite restaurant on the face of the earth is Alfredo's Alla Scrofa in Rome. They are one of two restaurants claiming to have invented Fettuccini Alfredo. The other one being Il Vero Alfredo, also in Rome. Back in the day, the Italy Pavilion at Epcot had a satellite location for Il Vero Alfredo, and it was a happy thing for me. Although some people didn't care for the place, I loved it and ate there many, many times. The restaurant closed in 2007 and was replaced by Tutto Italia. Not the same as the restaurant I loved, but still one of my favorite places to eat in Orlando. Their crispy potatoes, green beans, and pastas are all top-notch.
3. Spice Road Table (Morocco Pavilion, Epcot). Their hummus fries are to die for, and I have been known to show up and plow through three orders of them and nothing else (but they also have tiropitakia, naan with dips, and very good desserts). I wish there was a gyro/falafel quick-serve somewhere in World Showcase, but this will have to do.
4. Via Napoli (Italy Pavilion, Epcot). If you want pizza, this is your best option in the entirety of Walt Disney World. Imported ingredients from Napoli cooked into pizza that's about as authentic as it gets, and the price tag ain't cheap. They have non-pizza options, but not ones I can eat, so this gets knocked down a few pegs even though I eat here more often than Tutto Italia.
5. Toledo (Coronado Springs Resort Gran Destino Tower). This was the last WDW restaurant I ate at during my last pre-pandemic trip. I love tapas, and Toledo had some vegetarian options on the menu, so I gave it a shot by taking a trip to the (then) new Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort. The food will never take the place of eating tapas in Barcelona, but it was darn good fare, and I would absolutely eat there again.
6. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (Disney Hollywood Studios). While the food here is not spectacular, it is pretty good, and they are happy to make a veggie burger I can eat. But it's the amazing setting that makes this a truly special place to eat. Sitting in cars while you watch old movie trailers is fun, the staff is always great, and I have eaten here many times just for the experience of it all. This is how most restaurants in the Disney Bubble should be. An escape from the usual which is more than just the food you eat.
7. Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge) The dining at AKL is an embarrassment of riches, and it starts with the Victoria Falls Lounge, which serves up tasty drinks (and amazing African-spiced nuts, if you're lucky). And that leads smack-dab into Boma. Yeah, yeah... it's a buffet, which I usually hate. But they always have many interesting and delicious vegetarian options, so I am willing to look the other way. The celebration of African dishes is fantastic, but if you have people in your party who are not that adventurous, there's some more standard options to be had. If you avoid buffets as I do, this one is an exception you should try.
8. Casey's Corner (Main Street, Magic Kingdom). Formerly I liked their veggie dog. But now I'm fixated on their Chicago-style veggie dog, which is how all hot dogs should be eaten anyway). Regardless, I'm just happy that they offer a veggie dog at all. Seating can be a struggle, but it's worth the hassle.
9. Kona Cafe / Captain Cook's (The Polynesian Resort) One of the things that makes the Polynesian Village Resort worth staying at (assuming you can afford the ungodly price) is that they have one of the best breakfast foods on the property: Tonga Toast! Which is banana-stuffed French toast that gets deep-fried. (I KNOW!) You can order it at two locations, but I'd go for Captain Cook's Quick-Serve because it's the same thing but significantly cheaper ($10.50 vs. $17.50!). Both restaurants have dinner options worth exploring too (except I've had better luck with vegetarian fare I like at Captain Cook's as well).
10. 50's Prime Time Café (Disney Hollywood Studios). They used to have a vegetarian shepherd's pie here years ago (at least I think it was here?) that I really enjoyed. But now it's just the tomato soup, cornbread, and apple crisp that has me coming back. Just like the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, this restaurant is themed to what I can only describe as "grandma's house" where you have servers who are happy to tell you to keep your elbows off the table and eat all your vegetables. Yet another example of how restaurants in the Most Magical Place on Earth should be designed.
11. Sanaa (Animal Kingdom Lodge) The bread service and samosas are excellent, which tend to make me ignore the fact that you get one vegetarian option for an entrée, but it's always been a darn good option (currently a vegetable curry that I'm sure is amazing). As if that weren't enough, the desserts are killer, and I've come here a couple times just for a couple sides so I can have it!
12. Earl of Sandwich (Disney Springs). I used to love this establishment, but then they removed my beloved veggie sandwich and I avoided it. Then they put it back on the menu and I was thrilled to be able to eat there again. Premium ingredients and that incredible bread that's toasted so beautifully... it all adds up to an amazing meal. The fact that it's priced (relatively) reasonably is just the icing on the cake.
13. Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar (Disney Springs) Back when "Downtown Disney" became "Disney Springs," this Indiana Jones inspired eatery was opened. While I still mourn the loss of Pleasure Island and its restaurants and clubs (especially the Adventurers Club), I have to say that the Hanger Bar isn't half bad. It's certainly got a lot of Easter eggs for people who remember Pleasure Island and are deep into the Indy lore. The food is inventive and fun with vegetarian options I can always enjoy.
14. Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (Adventureland, Magic Kingdom) Based on The Jungle Cruise across the way, this is a fun restaurant that gets largely overlooked (which is strange because it's so big). They have some interesting vegetarian salads and entrées that are worth a look at the menu when I visit.
15. Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie (France Pavilion, Epcot) If you like authentic French pastries and breads, this is the place. They also have sandwiches, but the vegetarian option bounces around so I never count on it being something I'm going to want to eat. But when it is? Magical.
16. Basket at Wine Bar George (Disney Springs). An off-shoot of Wine Bar George, which is a place that I avoid because I'm not a wine drinker, Basket has a limited menu with some fantastic treats to be found. I made a trip to Disney Springs just pre-pandemic to order some just based on word-of-mouth, and was not disappointed.
17. Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory Scat Cat's Club Café (Port Orleans Resort: French Quarter). Apparently the beignets have moved, but if they're the same thing in Mickey shapes (using the same recipe), then great. This used to be the only place in all of WDW to get beignets, but apparently since Tiana's Bayou Adventure opened you can also get them at Magic Kingdom, except I hear they are not authentic beignets like you can get at Port Orleans Resort, so your mileage may vary.
18. Garden Grill (Future World, Epcot) This restaurant features produce that was grown in The Land which is to say that you're guaranteed some nice vegetarian options. Everything is served "family style" which is to say that it's best when you have fellow vegetarians who can share in the options available. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if it's your thing) this is currently a "Character Dining" experience. Which I don't object to (truth is that it's a fun experience which you should want to have in Disney World)... but I do object to the absurd price tag which comes with that. This ain't a cheap place to eat. But it is all you can eat so I recommend going in hungry so you can get your money's worth! I remember it when it was called The Good Turn Restaurant because it's a rotating restaurant which has views of the Living with The Land attraction where the veggies are grown. The food is good enough that I go back when I'm with people who I know will enjoy it. Otherwise the cost makes it a pass.
19. Yak and Yeti (Animal Kingdom) This isn't the best restaurant when it comes to selection for vegetarians (let's face it, few restaurants in WDW are)... but what they do offer has always been great. The problem is that Animal Kingdom Lodge is so very close, and I'd rather eat at any of their restaurants, so I don't end up here very often.
20. ABC Commissary (Disney Studios) While not the most inventive place to eat, I have been here more than a few times because I know that there will be something interesting for vegetarians to eat. I've had good salads, sandwiches, and burgers here that were all worth a stop.

A Quick Note on Tusker House... Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek tour is one of my favorite things to do in the park. It's a more intimate, close-up experience than you get with the regular safari attraction. And the highlight is always lunch out on the savannah, which is prepared by Tusker House. My vegetarian lunches have been CRAZY DELICIOUS all three times I've taken the tour. So good that I was compelled to find the source and eat there the next day. Unfortunately, it's a buffet (which I usually hate) and a Character Dining Experience (which means it's expensive) which is to say it's not quite what I was hoping for. To make matters worse, the vegetarian ("plant-based") selections were not all I was hoping for. Even so, I've eaten here a couple times after just because I love African dishes so much. I think that the experience would be a much better one if you eat meat, so I thought I should throw it out there.

And a quick note about that hot dog at Casey's Corner... After eating a veggie dog Chicago-style while visiting The Windy City, I have a tough time eating a hot dog any other way. Miraculously, one of the two veggie dogs on the menu at Casey's Corner on Main Street is a Chicago-style dog! No poppy seed bun, pickle, or sports pepper, but it's darn close...

I just wish that A) It arrived hot, and B) They would keep the mustard inside the bun so you can eat it with your hands and not make a massive mess. Otherwise? This is your dream dog if you're a vegetarian.

If I were to add a 21st place to my list, it would probably be Fairfax Fare (Disney Hollywood Studios). There are many places to eat Mickey Waffles (my second-favorite thing for breakfast after Tonga Toast), and usually I recommend having them at your Disney hotel so you get a place to sit down to eat them. But if you want to rope-drop an attraction, you want to bypass your hotel so you can stand in line for a ride first thing. Then you can go have breakfast in whatever park you're at. Problem is... a lot of times there's no available seating because a lot of people have the same idea. At Disney Studios, Fairfax Fare is a good choice because there's plenty of seating...

The problem for vegetarians is that the waffles come with bacon. If you're at the park with somebody who eats it, that's fine. But if you're not, then you can tell them to keep it... but they don't credit you a buck or two. You pay the same price. Also? No butter. Syrup only. Still, good stuff.

With all my positive things to say, surely there must be some negatives (other than the cost and the fact you need a park ticket to get to many of the restaurants)? Well, yeah. Sadly, most restaurants don't have many vegetarian/vegan options in the name of efficiency. If you like the option they have, you're golden. But if not, then odds are they can't accommodate you because most restaurants don't allow you to customize their dishes.

Another negative for me, at least, is that I occasionally get dragged to restaurants that are widely considered among the best in Walt Disney World only to end up disappointed. Victoria and Albert’s (The Grand Floridian) is grossly overpriced and I didn't enjoy the food at all (though it's also nigh impossible to get a reservation because it has a coveted Michelin Star, so this likely won't even be an option anyway). The Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney's Hollywood Studios) is a restaurant that I was excited to eat at... only to find that the menu was overtly vegetarian-hostile. And the one entrée on the menu I could eat had mushrooms that they couldn't remove so I ended up with tomato soup. I used to love The California Grill (The Contemporary Resort) because the vegetarian options were incredible. But the last couple times I ate there I didn't enjoy myself as much as the price tag should have provided and the menu wasn't as varied as it was years ago. And, lastly, it's a real bummer that my most favorite of all WDW resorts, The Wilderness Lodge, used to have my favorite restaurants. But Whispering Canyon Cafe won't work with you to create vegetarian meals, leaving you only the awful vegan options that use gross fake cheese and meats... and Artist Point has been converted to a Character Dining experience with mediocre vegetarian options that's a far cry from the amazing menu they used to have when it was a restaurant. There's no place for me to eat at my hotel of choice, which is hugely disappointing.

Another negative is that many of the cart snacks are bad (though some, like churros, are fine). One day at Epcot I was hungry and our dinner reservation was a ways off. So I decided to grab a Mickey Pretzel that comes with a tub of cheese. Boy are these bad. The pretzels are tough and chewy instead of fluffy inside with a thin chewy shell. And the cheese tub your get is gloppy and gross. They are cute though...

Also... almost all of the Disney pre-packaged snacks suck SO bad. I had a bag of Chip 'n Dale pretzels that were stale and gross and sat like a lump in my stomach for hours. I had a Micky Mouse marshmallow crispy treat that was not even remotely "crispy"... it was gummy, tough, and so disgusting that I couldn't eat all of it and had to throw it away. Do you know how bad something has to be at Disney World that I toss it? Especially when you have to pay a shitload of money for it? Just... no. Bring your own snacks to not only save a ton of money, but have something you know doesn't taste like crap.

So I'm not ending this entry on a down-note, I should reiterate that eating remains my favorite thing to do when visiting Walt Disney World. There's almost always a plant-based option on the menu, so all you have to do is look at a restaurant's offerings on the Walt Disney World website to see if it's a vegetarian option you might like. And usually there is, for me. Bonus points to those fine-dining establishments where the meals are not pre-made and they can actually work with you to come up with something you'll love. To me, that's the ultimate Disney dining experience!