The International Food & Wine Festival is back at Epcot! Since the event started in late August, I’ve tried quite a few plates; I’m here to taste, sip and review!
Fair warning: don’t read this hungry! Or do, and plan your next trip to Epcot ASAP…
Arguably Epcot’s most popular festival, Food & Wine offers a variety of culinary offerings throughout World Showcase and Future World. It’s all about those yummy dishes found at over 40 destinations throughout the park! Not sure what to try? Here are some of my favorites (and a few not-so favorites)…
Let’s start our indulgent journey in Future World . . .
FUTURE WORLD FOOD & WINE FAVORITES
First up, from the Wine & Dine Studio: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Vinaigrette, Parmesan Cheese and Pumpkin Seeds. A fine balance of sweet and savory, this dish is so tasty. I’m proud to admit I’ve enjoyed it three times so far!
Nearby, you’ll find the Earth Eats booth, which is hosted by Impossible Foods. I tried the Impossible Burger Slider with Wasabi Cream and Spicy Asian Slaw. Whether you’re vegan or not – this is a must-try! The wasabi cream is a great alternative to cheese and the flavors bursting from the slaw are the perfect complement for the burger. You might just forget Impossible Meat isn’t “real” meat!
Reminiscent of the Land and Seas pavilions, Earth Eats is right next to Coastal Eats. From here, I tried the Pacifico True Striped Bass Tostada with crispy slaw and fire-roasted tomatillo sauce. The spice of the sauce paired with the complex flavor of the bass all comes together with the satisfying crunch of the tostada.
Across the way near Test Track, the Donut Box joined the Food & Wine lineup on October 1st!
Here is the Sweet Corn Fritter with Fresno and Red Pepper Jelly – This reminded me more of a hush puppy than a corn fritter… but was still yummy!
WORLD SHOWCASE FOOD & WINE FAVORITES
France is my favorite World Showcase pavilion. Impressions de France, Boulangerie Patisserie, the well-manicured gardens, champagne… On top of all of this, the Food & Wine offerings are some of the best selections of the festival. I’ll be back with more from this booth. In the meantime, here are two recommendations:
The garlic-y and crispy Croissant aux Escargot is a must-try, at least once! Yes, the thought of eating escargot is frightening (and maybe a little offputting for the less adventurous), but once you’ve had it, you’ll be wanting it again.
My other recommendation is the Fondue Savoyarde. It is made from imported cheese and Chardonnay, and it’s melted together to celebrate some of the best pairings on Earth. The only downside is that it’s served only with croutons. It would be great to have some vegetables or a varying selection of bread instead. Overall, it’s still one of my favorites from the festival.
This year, Italy tempts the cannoli-connoisseur in me with a traditional recipe. I didn’t enjoy the past few years of Epcot’s cannoli renditions… But this… this is a good one. The shell was crisp, the marscapone fresh, with just the right amount of candied orange and mini chocolate chips.
I can’t pass through Italy without a glass of Prosecco!
From Italy, I’ve skipped onto the Belgium kitchen, near Morocco. Those “Golden Malted” waffles were calling my name. I opted for berry compote and whipped cream toppings. The waffle was fresh and warm, equally crisp and fluffy.
Next to China, the India booth enticed me with their bread & dips – Warm Indian Bread with Pickled Garlic, Mango Salsa and Coriander Pesto. Each of the dips possess a unique taste. All of them are fantastic, but it’s definitely hard to choose a favorite. I would love to take the Pickled Garlic or Coriander Pesto home!
One wish: more bread, please. Even with heavy dip-to-bread proportions, we finished with half-full dip cups!
[Dis]Honorable Mentions: From the Donut Box, Strawberry-dusted Yeast Donut Holes are a sweet treat. They aren’t exactly “donut holes”, and the strawberry sugar is sickly sweet. Personally, I’m not a fan.
Shimmering Sips offers the Instagram-worthy Strawberry-Soft serve in a Waffle Cone. This one reminded me of frozen Go-Gurt with extra, extra sugar. If you’re a Strawberry Ice Cream fan, you might enjoy this. Otherwise… steer clear.
One of my biggest disappointments this year is the Cheese & Wine pairing from the Wine & Dine Studio. The Chardonnay and Rosé are wonderful. The olives also had a nice bite to them. However, only the middle cheese selection had much of any taste. The other cheeses didn’t taste like anything; just smooth bites with a mini toast and an unknown fruit-jelly substance to back them up. I remember enjoying previous years’ pairings – maybe I received a bad batch? Regardless, for $11.50, I was expecting a bit more.
I’m always excited to try new booths – debuting this year is the Alps booth near Norway. I had heard great things about the Reclette; melty-cheesy goodness with baguette, potatoes and pickles… but my cheese was cold and completely solid. It was a little difficult to eat. Hiding underneath are the baby potatoes and pickles – these were good, but would have been even better with melty cheese! I may give this one a re-try.
Side-note, this year’s merchandise collection is pretty cute. Lots of pinks and cupcakes!
That’s all for my Food & Wine adventures… for now! I’ll update this article as we try new menu items!
What’s your favorite Food & Wine dish or drink? Is there anything specific you’d like to see us try?
I hope to see you at our Sip & Nibble meetup later THIS week (See below)
MiceChat WDW Invasion . . . Come Join Us:
Join Dusty and I, and a whole lot of other MiceChatters for a trip to Disney World this week! We’ll eat our way through the Food & Wine Festival and do all the Halloween things:
Mickey’s Halloween Party – October 17, 2019
Join us for the Magic Kingdom’s Halloween Party. The MiceChat group will meet up early and then head off together for parades, fireworks, and some trick-or-treating. Click the link to our Facebook event page (HERE) and let us know if you’ll be joining us.
MiceChat Sip and Nibble – October 18, 2019
If you haven’t done a Sip and Nibble with us, it’s time you do. We’ve found the best way to visit Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. We take turns buying bites and drinks from each of the festival kiosks and share with the group. It’s a great way to try everything without breaking the bank. It’s also a fantastic day of friendship and fun. Let us know if you’ll be joining us on our Food and Wine Festival Event Page (HERE)
Halloween Horror Nights Meetup – October 19, 2019
Are you up for more of a Halloween challenge? We absolutely love Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. There’s safety in numbers, so help muffle Dusty’s screams and join us for a meetup at one of the country’s top haunts. More information (HERE)
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