After months of waiting fans of Iron Chef Cat Cora can now experience the chefs incredible Greek cuisine at the Walt Disney World Boardwalk. Foodies and Disney world fans have been waiting for this great addition to the Orlando theme park area for quite some time but now everyone can check out this great dining establishment that will takes up the spot where Spoodles used to be.

The interior of Cora’s restaurant features a welcoming décor of dark woods and iron work. There are family pictures all over the walls to give you the feeling you are eating at a family owned restaurant. In many ways you are, because Cora herself designed the menu and waited for her family’s approval before deciding on the final selections.

"I love everything about this menu," says Cora. "But most importantly it has the approval of my family. And trust me, my mom and dad would tell me if it wasn't right. Greeks are very passionate about their food."

You will be able to enjoy scrumptious dishes like pastitsio, Greek-style lasagna, with buccatini pasta, cinnamon and ground beef as well as delicious oak-grilled lamb burgers. For dessert you can have chocolate boudino cake or traditional baklava with spiced nut filling and coffee frappes on the side.

Cat Cora plans to be at the restaurant in Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort as often as she can. Considering she’s the Executive Chef of Bon Appétit magazine as well as restaurant owner, mom and now the owner of her own Coranation Wines, that might be a little difficult. So, Cora enlisted the help of Disney culinary team veteran Dee Foundoukis to help out in the kitchen while Cat’s away.

"She's first generation Greek," says Cora. "She gets what I am trying to accomplish. She has my vision and my passion."

We’re sure Kouzzina is going to be a hit at the Disney Boardwalk. While family friendly this establishment still provides a classy dining setting the entire family can enjoy. After all, it’s nice to treat yourself to something other than park food while on vacation.

Potter fans the wait is over. Thanks to an official webcast by the Universal Studios Orlando execs we now know the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will officially open in the spring of 2010. Universal recently held a webcast that featured the art directors and designers of the newest part of Islands of Adventure revealing exclusive information and never before seen images regarding the Harry Potter island. This is definitely going to bring Universal head to head with Walt Disney World as both Disney and Harry Potter have millions of fans across the globe. But the important thing to remember is that this incredible park will be an experience everyone will be able to enjoy—even those that haven’t read the books.

If you’ve seen the movies, be prepared to be blown away by the incredible attention to detail. Actor Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy in the movies, was on hand for the webcast and couldn’t contain his excitement regarding the project. The actor was truly impressed and surprised at how closely the parts of the new island he had seen resembled the movie set he grew up on. OrlandoFunTickets.com has the scoop on what to expect when the new attraction opens next year.

You will enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter through Hogsmeade Train Station, right where Harry starts off his journey in the movies. A number of shops will surround you including Zonko’s where you can buy jokes and gags as well as Honeydukes were you can buy chocolate frogs and other sweets. You will then continue on to one of the coolest and most unique parts of the Wizarding World: the Owlery. Tons of beautiful owls will be nesting overhead in this relaxing pavilion that lets you take a break from the sometimes chaotic theme park surroundings. Next to the Owlery will lie the Owl Post. You can send letters to fellow Potter fans marked with the Hogsmeade emblem just like they do in the movie.

Of course, you can’t have magic spells without the wands, so you will be able to check out Olivanders, where a magic wand will choose you like Harry’s chose him in the film. Dervish and Banges will sell Quidditch equipment and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods will contain Ministry of Magic merchandise. As for the rides, this island will have three.

The main ride is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which will be contained in the centerpiece of the island: Hogwart’s Castle. This dark ride will be similar to Spiderman in build but unlike any other ride you’ve been on. Dueling Dragons has been re-themed as Dragon Challenge and the Flying Unicorn is now Flight of the Hippogriff. The Three Broomsticks, a restaurant serving British fare, will also be part of this fantastic addition to Islands of Adventure. Are you ready, Potter fans?

She won what is considered the toughest cooking competition and cemented her spot in the food world as the only female Iron Chef. Now, Cat Cora will bring her culinary expertise to the Walt Disney World Resort BoardWalk. With Kouzzina (“kitchen” in Greek), Cora plans to bring “time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves” to the Walt Disney World restaurant family. Cora has been working on the restaurant plans since 2008, but it is not her first partnership with Disney. Cora also worked on a series of Disney Video on Demand shows that taught families how to develop healthier eating habits.

While she already has a barbecue-style restaurant, Cora wanted to go back to her routes with Kouzzina and make Mediterranean food more accessible to the guests that visit Disney from all over the world. Kouzzina takes the place of Spoodles, once popular for its breakfast buffet, and will be having a pre-opening with a special menu.

The special menu will have breakfast, kid’s breakfast, dinner and dessert all with the Mediterranean theme Cora loves. Among the many appetizers guests will be able to sample are goat cheese stuffed grape leaves, Vongole (clams, sausage, wine broth and garlic croutons) and calamari with lemon. For dinner guests will dine on cinnamon stewed chicken, char grilled lamb burgers or spiced briami (oven roasted veggies, oregano and Mazithra cheese with orzo). Don’t forget the dessert! Among the delicious offerings are baklava , galaktoboureko (semolina custard in baked phyllo dough and vanilla-praline ice cream) and loukamathes (freshly made Greek doughnuts dipped with warm honey).

Reservations are already open for the big September 17th premiere, so it might be a good idea to check out Disney’s new online reservation system. Disney recently opened up an online portal for its reservation system. Disney restaurants like Teppan Edo and The Crystal Palace are notorious for filling up fast. If a Disney restaurant has a good reputation, you can count on it having long wait times—especially during the upcoming holiday season! So if you want to get a taste of Kouzzina then make sure you call ahead and reserve your spot if you don’t want to wait hours in line for a meal.

With a new family, her title as Iron Chef, celebrity appearances and her job as the editor of Bon Appétit magazine, Cora’s got her hands full. But we’re guessing guests of Kouzzina will keep their stomachs full with the delicious food Cora has planned for the menu.

In the Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT is famous with older crowds for being one of the few parks where alcohol is easier to access. It is easy to do a “drinking tour” across the World Showcase Pavillion as you sample beer from Germany, wine from France and sake from Japan. Now with La Cava del Tequila in the Mexican pavilion, tequila lovers will get to enjoy a few shots of the desert drink as well.

Opening up just in time for the 2009 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, La Cava del Tequila, located inside the Mexican pavilion, will be offering educational seminars about tequila and the process behind making the alcohol favorite. La Cava del Tequila will also have a Tequila Master on hand to answer any questions visitors may have. If you need some food to accompany your drinks, the lounge serves appetizers like ceviche and tostadas. This lounge holds around 46 people and also serves up premium margaritas. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful Mexico pavilion as you enjoy some of the finest tequila you will ever taste—La Cava del Tequila has 70 varieties!

If you’re really hungry you can leave the “pyramid” and head out to the Cantina de San Angel where you will find heavier fare like burritos and tacos. Mexican beer is also available and they make fabulous margaritas! If you happen to make it to the 14th annual food event at the EPCOT theme park, this new tequila bar isn’t the only treat you will get to experience.

This 45 day festival will feature cuisine from all over the world. The park has set up 25 International Marketplaces to fulfill every culinary wish you would like to experience. Every week the festival offers new entertainment and tasting events, so make sure you pick up a schedule when entering the theme park. Other events include book signings, meet and greets with authors and other “food celebrities” and a variety of lectures and cooking demonstrations. There is also the great “Eat to the Beat” series of concerts where music groups like En Vogue, Boyz II Men, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will be stopping by to perform their best songs and turn EPCOT into a giant festival. So make sure to stop by the brand new La Cava Del Tequila during the Food and Wine festival or the next time you head over to the Disney theme park.

Downtown Disney has seen a lot of changes throughout the past year. There was the closing of the Pleasure Island nightclubs, sadly, along with the closure of the Virgin Megastore. However, not all of the changes have been bad – the Disney entertainment district added Aerophile, a new balloon flight experience, new stores, and new restaurants. Among those eateries, in fact is a new waterfront eatery that’s making its debut this month – Paradiso 37.

Named after the 37 countries that make up North, South, and Central America, Paradiso 37 opened quietly last Friday, June 5. Located on the waterfront of Pleasure Island, the high-energy E-Brands restaurant serves up unique cuisine inspired by the “Street Foods of the Americas” for lunch and dinner. The restaurant also features an international wine bar and a tequila tower bar with 37 kinds of tequila, which are used in the restaurant’s selection of signature frozen margaritas.

On the wide and varied menu at Paradiso 37 is a list of appetizers or “sharables,” subs and sandwiches, salads, and “street” platters. Among them are south-of-the-border tastes such as burritos, enchiladas, and tacos, in addition to more customary dishes such as New York Strip Steak, Cheeseburger, and North American Sliders. One of the most popular offerings is the BBQ Pork Platter, which is slow roasted with sweet chipode BBQ sauce and served with cilantro rice and black beans.

The restaurant features a separate menu for children, with can’t-go-wrong eats like mini-cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and a triple stack PB & J. And for dessert, a variety of North, South, and Central American “Street Sweets” is available, such as churros, sopapillas, and ice cream sundaes served in half a coconut.

With one side facing the boat deck, Paradiso 37 offers a particularly nice waterside dining area. The outside of the building almost resembles a boathouse with horizontal wood paneling. Inside, however, the restaurant is very colorful and features plush, multi-colored booths, wood tables and accents, and elaborate tequila-themed lighting fixtures. And an open kitchen provides something fun to watch while diners wait for their meal to arrive.

At nighttime, Paradiso 37 turns into a nightlife paradise with live entertainment. The usually lively and comfortable atmosphere gets even more fiery and fun, and on Friday evenings, an acoustic musician plays everything from 80s hits to soulful country songs.

Paradiso 37 opens at 11 am and stays open late into the evenings. We especially recommend it for a satisfying dinner after a long day at Walt Disney World or a bit of nightlife fun. Plan on making it a part of your vacation for a unique dining experience – and while you’re planning, be sure to check out the discount Walt Disney World tickets available on OrlandoFunTickets.com.