Leah and I visited Disney World this year for the first time since we were both kids. We were accompanied by my friend from work, as well as his (now) fiancée, who he proposed to on our first day while we were in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. My friend is a big amusement park aficionado, so he was able to serve as a guide during the trip. This worked particularly well during the huge Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. The whole experience was an absolute blast and the food was, on average, surprisingly good - and affordable - across the board!
When we arrived at the entrance to the festival, we picked up these handy "passports," which contained a list of all the different food and drink offerings. For those unfamiliar with the park, Epcot features various recreations of lands from all over the globe. During the festival, each land had a sidewalk kiosk selling a handful of small plates and drinks that (in theory) represented the corresponding culture, though many were very Americanized and played to a "safer" audience (which I thought was fine given the context of this being an amusement park).
Canada
"Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce
Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup with Pretzel Roll
My friend's favorite Epcot restaurant is Le Cellier in the Canada area, though reservations were booked two months out so we couldn't eat a formal meal. Fortunately, some of the restaurant's normal menu was represented at Canada's festival kiosk.
This was in our top three favorites for the whole day. The filet was a perfectly tender medium-rare (surprising for amusement park cuisine) and the sauce (really a béarnaise) and mushrooms were delicious. The soup was wonderful as well, though the pretzel roll could have been more flavorful.
Next up was the Appleseed Orchard, where a variety of apple-themed products were offered, including beer and cider. I was disappointed but not surprised by the cloying sweetness of the three ciders, which were much closer to soda. The beers were better, but still middle-of-the-road at best. I enjoyed the Big Storm Apple Blonde the most, which had a definite apple flavor but was still crisp and not too sweet.
At Ireland, we enjoyed some early dessert. The cake was warm and moist, while the shake had a pleasant bitterness from the beer, which cut through the sweetness.
I was initially surprised that the Canada kiosk wasn't selling poutine, but the nearby Refreshment Port (hosted by Boursin) had several options. We opted for the "traditional" which, despite the name, included the untraditional addition of soft Boursin goat cheese blobs. It was a welcome spin, though, as the dish was absolutely delicious, with crispy fries, hot, rich gravy, and pleasantly bouncy cheese curds.
Appleseed Orchard
Cider Flight:
Blake's Hard Cider Co. Saint Chéri Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry
Original Sin Hard Cider McIntosh
Collective Arts Brewing Circling the Sun Hard Cider
Beer Flight:
Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company Apple-y Ever After Green Apple Sour Ale
3 Daughters Brewing Apple Pecan Brown Ale
Big Storm Brewing Co. Apple Blonde Ale
Next up was the Appleseed Orchard, where a variety of apple-themed products were offered, including beer and cider. I was disappointed but not surprised by the cloying sweetness of the three ciders, which were much closer to soda. The beers were better, but still middle-of-the-road at best. I enjoyed the Big Storm Apple Blonde the most, which had a definite apple flavor but was still crisp and not too sweet.
Ireland
Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard
Guinness Bailey's Shake
Guinness Bailey's Shake
At Ireland, we enjoyed some early dessert. The cake was warm and moist, while the shake had a pleasant bitterness from the beer, which cut through the sweetness.
Refreshment Port
Traditional Poutine: French Fries, Beef Gravy, Boursin Cracked Black Pepper Crumbles, Cheese Curds
Maple Boursin Cheesecake with Whipped Boursin Maple Bourbon Cheese and Candied Pecans
I was initially surprised that the Canada kiosk wasn't selling poutine, but the nearby Refreshment Port (hosted by Boursin) had several options. We opted for the "traditional" which, despite the name, included the untraditional addition of soft Boursin goat cheese blobs. It was a welcome spin, though, as the dish was absolutely delicious, with crispy fries, hot, rich gravy, and pleasantly bouncy cheese curds.
The cheesecake was a big disappointment - it reeked of cloying, artificial maple flavor. After a couple bites, we discarded the rest.
By midday, the sun was scorching and we were starting to hit our food consumption limit. We made one last stop in Japan (which, incidentally, was one of the more visually impressive lands in Epcot) for some food and a frozen beer.
Japan
Teriyaki Chicken Bun: Steamed Bun filled with Chicken, Vegetables, and Teriyaki Sauce
Tempura Shrimp Sando: Crunchy Shrimp served with Yuzu Crab, Green Onions, and Eel Sauce
Frozen Kirin Ichiban
By midday, the sun was scorching and we were starting to hit our food consumption limit. We made one last stop in Japan (which, incidentally, was one of the more visually impressive lands in Epcot) for some food and a frozen beer.
The food was ok - the bun was good but kind of one-note. The sando was more interesting, but the tempura wasn't very crunchy and there was a bit too much bread for the amount of filling. The frozen beer was an interesting novelty. It's normal beer topped with a thick foam that looks like soft serve ice cream but is really just aerated cold beer (no sweetness at all). It was an absolute mess to consume, but I can't argue that it wasn't refreshing.
After this, we took a food break for a few hours to do other park activities, then picked up later in the afternoon once we had digested a bit.
Leah and I absolutely love raclette, so we were really looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint - the cheese was rich and gooey as expected, with buttery, soft potatoes and salty, juicy ham. Yum.
The Alps
Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Alpine Ham, Baby Potatoes, Cornichons, and Baguette
Leah and I absolutely love raclette, so we were really looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint - the cheese was rich and gooey as expected, with buttery, soft potatoes and salty, juicy ham. Yum.
A quick glimpse of one of several traveling Remys from Ratatouille, this one sitting on top of the Refreshment Outpost.
Kenya
Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato & Corn Mealie Pap and Kachumbari Slaw
Some of the upcoming lines were incredibly long, so we decided to split up and order separately to cover more ground. On our way to China and Mexico, we passed by Kenya, which had virtually no line, and decided to order. We were so happy we did, as this tenderloin was one of our favorite dishes of the day - another top three.
Some of the upcoming lines were incredibly long, so we decided to split up and order separately to cover more ground. On our way to China and Mexico, we passed by Kenya, which had virtually no line, and decided to order. We were so happy we did, as this tenderloin was one of our favorite dishes of the day - another top three.
It was a perfectly cooked piece of beef with rich mealie pap (basically corn grits) and refreshing slaw. The seasoning was great and made this dish stand apart from many of the other more conventional offerings.
Mexico
Chilaquiles con Chorizo: Crispy Corn Tortillas tossed in Salsa Verde and Monterey Jack Cheese topped with Crema Mexicana, Queso Cotija, Pickled Onions, and Ground Chorizo
La Clásica Reyes Margarita: Centinela Blanco Tequila, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur, Abasolo Corn Whiskey, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar with a Chile Piquín Salt Rim
Another dish that Leah and I normally love, but here, unfortunately, the chilaquiles were very soft and congealed into a dense cake. The flavors were great, but not the texture. I braced myself for an overly sweet margarita and, though it was very sugary, the other flavors were quite good.
Another dish that Leah and I normally love, but here, unfortunately, the chilaquiles were very soft and congealed into a dense cake. The flavors were great, but not the texture. I braced myself for an overly sweet margarita and, though it was very sugary, the other flavors were quite good.
China
ZiRan Beef Bao Bun: Grilled Beef with Cumin
Mango Bubble Milk Tea: Assam Black Tea, Whole Milk, and Mango Syrup
The items we got at China were ok. The bao was straightforward and the bubble tea (originating from Taiwan, not China, despite what Beijing may say) was less sugary than expected.
The items we got at China were ok. The bao was straightforward and the bubble tea (originating from Taiwan, not China, despite what Beijing may say) was less sugary than expected.
The Swanky Saucy Swine
Crispy Pig Ear Salad with Fire Roasted Tomatillo Sauce, Pickled Red Onions, Queso Fresco, Roasted Corn Salsa, and Avocado Cream
We almost didn't stop at this pork-themed America outpost but wow wow wow, that pig ear "salad" was the last of our top three for the day - maybe my number one. I loved the contrast of the crunchy, porky pig ears against the bright vegetables. This is one of my favorite styles of food, where a rich, fatty item is paired with something very herby, clean, and acidic.
We almost didn't stop at this pork-themed America outpost but wow wow wow, that pig ear "salad" was the last of our top three for the day - maybe my number one. I loved the contrast of the crunchy, porky pig ears against the bright vegetables. This is one of my favorite styles of food, where a rich, fatty item is paired with something very herby, clean, and acidic.
Hawai'i
Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayo
Passion Fruit Cheesecake with Toasted Macadamia Nuts
These plates sounded really good on paper, but both were a little disappointing. The slider tasted nice but was very wet and needed something crunchy and acidic to contrast the richness. The cheesecake was fine (and way better than the maple version earlier in the day), but the passion fruit, which is normally such a strong flavor, was missing.
These plates sounded really good on paper, but both were a little disappointing. The slider tasted nice but was very wet and needed something crunchy and acidic to contrast the richness. The cheesecake was fine (and way better than the maple version earlier in the day), but the passion fruit, which is normally such a strong flavor, was missing.
Brazil
Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato, and Onions
Frozen Caipirinha
We were looking forward to Brazil all day, as it was listed early in the passport. It was another slight disappointment, though, as the pork belly was tough and the black bean side was too thick; almost a paste. The caipirinha was - you guessed it - very sweet and, to top it off, the machine was broken so it was served merely cold instead of frozen. Not the end of the world, but I would have imagined the sugary drink would work better in frozen form, where the flavors are usually dulled.
We were looking forward to Brazil all day, as it was listed early in the passport. It was another slight disappointment, though, as the pork belly was tough and the black bean side was too thick; almost a paste. The caipirinha was - you guessed it - very sweet and, to top it off, the machine was broken so it was served merely cold instead of frozen. Not the end of the world, but I would have imagined the sugary drink would work better in frozen form, where the flavors are usually dulled.
Flavors From Fire
The S'mores Whoopie Pie-lon: Smoked Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, Chocolate Ganache, and Candied Bacon
We made sure to save room for one last dessert, having seen this ridiculous s'more in the passport at one of the final kiosks (hosted by the NFL of all things). It was fantastic - soft, chocolatey, and lighter than expected. My only gripe was that some of the candied bacon was incredibly tough - a piece stuck in my teeth was a chore to wrestle out.
We made sure to save room for one last dessert, having seen this ridiculous s'more in the passport at one of the final kiosks (hosted by the NFL of all things). It was fantastic - soft, chocolatey, and lighter than expected. My only gripe was that some of the candied bacon was incredibly tough - a piece stuck in my teeth was a chore to wrestle out.
The end! It was a delicious finale to an amazing trip. The experience of eating many small plates at a variety of stands was extremely novel and fun, minus the scorching heat and high humidity. Despite all of the calories we took in, we didn't feel overly full and were still able to head out in good spirits to enjoy our last remaining night in Orlando, which we spent soothing our aching feet and backs in the hotel pool and hot tub.
