By Maureen Costello

My niece called me out of the blue last January inviting me on a world tour of all the ethnic restaurants at Epcot Center.

Alison and me with the staff at the Marrakash. We're the shorter ones in the middle.

As an employee of Disney-owned ESPN, Alison is a “cast member,” meaning she receives significant discounts at each of the Walt Disney empires.

“I remember you said you always wanted to try all the restaurants at Epcot Center,” she said referring to the 11 restaurants that make up the park’s World Showcase. “I’m going to make that dream come true for you.”

I do not remember expressing that specifically to Alison, though I have been quite vocal about that idea since I first visited Walt Disney World 11 years earlier. I am beyond flattered to know that Alison was listening.

We only had three full days to sample something from every country represented. Some restaurants such as Canada’s, Le Cellier Steakhouse, was only open for dinner. None serve breakfast. We needed to accommodate six, maybe seven meals. Some stops would have to be snacks. I should also mention that though we had a discount toward food, Alison, 23, has yet to accumulate a salary comparable to those whose sports highlights she readies for Sports Center. I am hardly better off so finances were essential to factor in especially as dinner entrees could easily run $37 apiece – not including dessert.

You don’t need to be a foodie to benefit from Epcot Center’s World Showcase, even if it is only for an afternoon. The theme park giant goes over the top to represent the culture, food, music, dance, art, history and, in some instances, even the plant life of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the USA, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada. Employees of these venues are frequently young adults from their native land working at Disney on a one-year Visa. The program works well for both. Disney guests learn about the culture directly from someone born and raised there, and the worker learns about America both through their work at Epcot and field trips to cities such as New York and Chicago, which Disney organizes.

Top chefs and gourmet selections require guests make dinner reservations months in advance at Walt Disney World’s Signature Dining restaurants. Though we were four months away from our trip, I grabbed the only seating available for Restaurant Marrakesh, which features authentic Moroccan cuisine. I struck out with the rest for dinner until I secured a table for Bistro de Paris. I then reserved the last available table at Coral Reef Restaurant, a seafood restaurant that is in Epcot, but not part of the showcase.

The Maya Grill at the Coronado Springs Resort, where we were staying, is owned by the San Angel Inn Restaurante in Epcot’s Mexico showcase. The grill served buffet breakfasts only, but we decided its Latin culture and flavors would be representative of San Angel, where I had enjoyed dinner years before. I had also eaten at Le Cellier, and we could not get reservations anyway. Alison’s goal was to wean off of chicken fingers, burgers and fries, the dominant menu items at The American Adventure, so it was scratched.

The months pass and we were finally at JFK when Alison confided that she has never tasted an olive. Fortunately we were flying Jet Blue which boasts the trendy Re:vive restaurants at the gates. We split a lunch of fresh mozzarella with olive tapenade, fresh basil between two slices of toasted ciabetta. One bite and Alison’s olive deficiency was remedied.

The in-flight snack was nothing to write home (or here) about. But once settled into the resort, we walked over to the bar to sample a mojito. Alison exclaimed that the big news at ESPN was that the bartender by the pool at Coronado Springs Resort made the best mojito ever. A flight delay meant we got to the bar minutes before it closed. We forgot the bartender’s name and our camera, but admit his was a refreshingly sweet and minty mojito, with just enough rum to take the edge off of knowing our luggage had yet to arrive.

The following is a quick pictorial show of the meals my niece and I shared during our three-day “world tour.”

Alison is eating a fresh toasted mozzarella and olive tapenade sandwich at re: vive, a bar situated at every few Jet Blue terminals.

Our first stop at Disney was the Marrakash, Epcot's upscale Moroccan restaurant. Our main course was a lemon-pepper roasted chicken leg and roasted lamb shank sandwiching the most succulant couscous with steamed vegetables. Our wine is Beni M'tir , a dry, full-bodied red with fragrances of almond, citrus peel, orange marmalade, fig cinnamon and mint. The grapes were grown in Morocco's Amazigh region.

This tiny lemon tree growing beside our table reminded me of the blossoming lemon plants beside another table in Splendida, Portofino, Italy.

We are at Tutto Italia on a blue-skied 89-degree Florida afternoon. Alison is having a chilled 2007 Rose Centine ($7) with her asparagus salad.

We did not leave Italy without sampling vanilla bean gelatto sandwiched between light pastry and drizzled with warm milk chocolate sauce. We were not above pouring the leftover chocolate onto spoons and devouring it.

Here we are in Norway enjoying a midafternoon snack of fresh strawberry and black raspberry tart at Kringla's, $3.99. On the side is a frosty Bailey's coffee. Sandwiches here, which we did not have, include salmon, egg and red onion on multigrain bread.

Alison's first sushi meal (and definitely not her last!) was served at Tokyo Dining. This sampler features tuna, yellowtail shrimp and California rolls. Keeping with tradition, we each had a shot of Junmai sake, brewed from the waters of Mt. Tenzan, part of the Saga Perfecture, which is in Northwestern Japan.

The Country Style Meat plate, the first of two appetizers we had at Bistro de Paris, consisted of homemade pate, beef croquette, duck rillette and smoked duck magret.

The duck breast, polenta galette with raisin, artichoke and sun choke purse verjus sauce. Verjus sauce is combination of squeezed unripe grapes, herbs and spices.

Our second appetizer, escargot and mushroom cassolette with parsely butter, frog leg fritters and watercress veloute. A veloute sauce is one of four traditional French sauces. It means velvety and is made of equal parts butter and flour mixed with a stock of either chicken, veal or fish bones.

Alison struck gold with the Atlantic red snapper with calmari Basquaise style, rice and squid ink.

I had the warm and frozen Grand-Marnier souffle. The chocolate cake was warm and filled with a warm chocolate pudding. On the side is a shot of Grand Marnier and the spoon is a single serving of gourmet French white chocolate. I hated to share.

Les desserts! Alison tops off her snapper and squid meal with a mouthwatering serving of vanilla creme brulee, caramelized rice pudding, upside down caramel cream and a scoop of creme brulee ice cream. One bite and she realized a dessert needn't be chocolate to be delectable.

Le Saout Yoann prepared crepes duo Suzette at our table.

e shared an appetizer of General Tso's chicken steamed dumplings beneath a warm Chinese red sauce with a side of scallions and cilantro at Nine Dragons.

A cook prepares my Southwest omelet.

Fresh bread at the Pepper Market.