Chef Kevin Dundon Culinary Demonstration — 2016 Food & Wine Festival

*This culinary demonstration took place on October 18, 2016. This does not reflect a typical culinary demo experience at Food & Wine as I was able to connect with the Raglan Road staff ahead of time. Guests attending culinary demonstrations with a special diet should contact WDW’s Special Diets Department in advance.I'm a huge fan of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival culinary demonstration series. Offering a small taste of a dish and a glass of wine, these culinary demos feature chefs from the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as celebrity chefs, whipping up their favorite dishes -- all at a reasonable cost (typically, $15 a person).I try to go to at least a few demos each year, and I specifically look forward to the ones featuring Chef Kevin Dundon from Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs. Chef Kevin brings such fun and excitement to his demos, and even better, because I'm a repeat guest each year, I'm lucky enough to be able to connect with Chef Kevin and the team at Raglan Road about gluten free options.This year, Chef Kevin went above and beyond, making me a gluten free version of his lamb pie. How cool is that? My dish was brought to me separately by one of the Disney cast members, and I checked in about one hour prior to connect with them and to figure out the easiest spot for me to sit for them to identify me when it came time to serve the food.Here are some video highlights of Chef Kevin Dundon's culinary demo that we went to.As you can see from the demo, Chef Kevin is passionate about fresh, simple ingredients. He's also a huge adovcate for celiac disease and those with gluten sensitivity. I'm always impressed with how knowledgeable he is and how he incorporates accommodating special dietary needs into his restaurants.My lamb pie was presented to me with a mint pea puree and some fresh greens. Made with a gluten free puff pastry dough (which I wish I could find easily in stores!), the lamb pie was full of rich flavor.Inside there was plenty of lamb and vegetables like celery root, carrots, and celery. The flavors were rich, but not overpowering, and total comfort food. In fact, I loved it so much that I told Chef Kevin I'd love to see it on their menu as an option for gluten free guests. It was that good!Brandon had the gluten-filled version and also said it was really good.The neat part about this demo is that because Chef Kevin knew I was there, he demonstrated how to make both the gluten-filled version and gluten free version on stage. He even had gluten free puff pastry on hand.Afterwards, I got a chance to chat with Chef Kevin, and of course, take a photo. I can't thank Chef Kevin Dundon enough for all that he does to make amazing gluten free food at his restaurants (thank goodness for gluten free fish & chips at Raglan Road!), and for giving me a special culinary demo experience at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.His demos are always fun, and he always has surprises up his sleeve (like the time he brought me up on stage back in 2013!). If you're every curious about these demos and have special dietary needs, I recommend contacting Disney's Special Diets Department prior to your visit for questions and concerns.A special thanks to Chef Kevin, the Raglan Road team, and the cast members who made my visit extra special.