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The 2017 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival - PART THREE

Hey there, Disney Guys and Gals!

     Well, Halloween has come and gone, and that means we are down to our last couple of weeks at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival. (Booooooooo!!!) Never fear, though... Disney's all new Festival of Holidays starts up at Epcot just a couple of weeks after Food and Wine comes to a close, so you'll have all new foods to try and money to blow through! More on that later, but in the mean time, here are some more reviews of bites and treats from this year's Epcot International Food and Wine Festival to help you decide what to try for yourself! (If you haven't already read them you can find Part One HERE and Part Two HERE!)

Wine and Dine



     Didn't get a chance to try anything here yet. That cheese trio sounds good, though!


Cheese Studio


Food:
  • Braised Beef Stroganoff w Tiny Egg Noodles, Wild Mushroom, and Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce     $5.00
  • Savory Caramelized Onion Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Tart w Cold Arugula Salad and Aged Balsamic     $4.50
  • Cheese Trio: Profiterole topped w Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese and Orange Apricot Jam, Smoked Salmon Pinwheel w Boursin Shallot and Chive Cheese and Everything Seasoning and Strawberry Macaroon w Boursin Pepper Cheese     $5.50
Beverages:
  • Leth Steinagrund Gruner Veltliner, Austria      $5.00
  • Liberated Pinot Noir, California      $6.50
     Didn't get to try anything here yet, either!


The Chocolate Studio



  • What did we try?   Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle 
  • How would I describe it?   A frozen ball of chocolate mousse with caramel sauce 
  • How was the portion/value?   I thought $4.75 was pretty high, but considering this is a Festival favorite for many Guests, I get why. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A  SO! YUMMY! And the coolness of it makes it all the more enjoyable. You gotta try it!
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Yep!



Liquid Nitro being used for the truffles

  • What did we try?   Sweet Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte
  • How would I describe it?   A rich chocolate ganache tart with a bite of raspberry.
  • How was the portion/value?   This one is a good size. $4.25 seemed reasonable. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A   Delicious!!! You've got to like chocolate and raspberry together. SOO SOOO good! 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Fo sho!

Coastal Eats


  • What did we try?   Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip
  • How would I describe it?   A creamy, shrimp-filled hot dip, served with toast rounds.
  • How was the portion/value?   2-3 people could share this dip, BUT the doesn't come with nearly enough bread to do so. Either way, decent portion for $5.50.
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+   This dip was served warm and was very tasty and flavorful. There was plenty of shrimp in it. I just wish it had more bread. It was too salty to eat on its own.
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Nah. 


  • What did we try?   Seared Scallops
  • How would I describe it?   Scallops in a buttery sauce with corn and bean succotash
  • How was the portion/value?   $6 for 3 scallops and what is essentially a side dish was ok by me. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-   Delicious scallops, seared perfectly and so buttery! And I also loved the veggie mix under it. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Yes!



Earth Eats


  • What did we try?   Grilled Beef Skewer
  • How would I describe it?   Steak kabob over a romaine and grilled apricot salad
  • How was the portion/value?   $5.25 was ok for this one. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B   The steak was good, though a little overcooked for me. I don't like feta, so I asked for it on the side and they were happy to oblige. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   No. There were better beef dishes. 


  • What did we try?   Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mousse
  • How would I describe it?   A creamy, sweet mousse with caramelized peanuts
  • How was the portion/value?   $3.50 isn't horrible, but it's only a couple of spoonfuls worth. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-   This was one of The Hubs's favs. I personally found it to be too sweet, but it had a nice, nutty flavor. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   The Hubs will for sure. 



Active Eats




  • What did we try?   Loaded Mac 'N' Cheese
  • How would I describe it?   Mac and cheese heaven with bacon, peppers and onions. 
  • How was the portion/value?   $4.75 and easily shareable. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-   Yum, yum, yum. Another favorite!
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Oh yeah. 


Flavors From Fire



  • What did we try?   Piggy Wings
  • How would I describe it?     Sticky, sweet pork "wings".    
  • How was the portion/value?   $4.50 for two wings. Eh. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+   Really tasty wings. The sauce was sweet and savory. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Probably not. Too much other stuff to pick from. 


  • What did we try?   Sweet Pancake
  • How would I describe it?     A corn pancake, topped with spicy sausage and candied bacon and a sweet heat sauce.   
  • How was the portion/value?   Good amount of food for $4.
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-   Aside form the fact that it was not warm when we got it, this was a great dish. Just enough heat and lots of flavor. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   No. I'm really glad we tried it, but this one won't be a repeat item. 


  • What did we try?   Chocolate Piccante
  • How would I describe it?     A chocolate mousse and vanilla cake parfait. 
  • How was the portion/value?   $3.25 was reasonable for this. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   A-   I was surprised to really like this. The mousse was super rich and the cake was dense. There was the slightest touch of heat, which just gave it a little something extra. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Possibly. 



Light Lab

Food:
  • The Glownut     $3.00
Beverages:
  • T=CC2: Vanilla Tonic Water and Cotton Candy (Non-Alcoholic)     $3.75
  • RGB: Citrus Apple Freeze (Non-Alcoholic)     $3.75
  • Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu Cuvée Mousseux with Boba Pearls     $9.00
  • Founders Brewing Company Green Zebra Watermelon Gose Ale     $4.25
  • Elysian Brewing Space Dust IPA     $4.25
  • Blue Point Brewing Company Hoptical Illusion IPA     $4.25
  • Sixpoint Brewery Mad Scientist Radian Flux     $4.25
  • Playalinda Brewing Company Robonaut Red Ale     $4.25
  • Left Hand Brewing Company Polestar Pilsner     $4.25
  • Space Flight      $9.00
    • Left Hand Brewing Company Polestar Pilsner
    • Playalinda Brewing Company Robonaut Red Ale
    • Elysian Brewing Space Dust IPA
  • Light Flight      $9.00
    • Sixpoint Brewery Mad Scientist Radiant Flux
    • Founders Brewing Company Green Zebra Watermelon Goose Ale
    • Blue Point Brewing Company Hoptical Illusion IPA




  • What did we try?   T=CC2
  • How would I describe it?     Sugary sweet soda water.
  • How was the portion/value?   $3.75 for a couple of ounces of sugary soda water? Nope.
  • What letter grade would we give it?      This drink is really all about how it's made. They put a puff of orange cotton candy on top of a cup, and pout soda water through a coily tube. Then the liquid hits the candy, it dissolves and makes an orange soda, but it was so sickeningly sweet, I couldn't drink it. K loved it though. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Ah, that's a hard no. 





  • What did we try?   Citrus Apple Freeze
  • How would I describe it?     Fruity sweet and sour slush
  • How was the portion/value?   Again, $3.75 for a couple of ounces of slush. More nope. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   C-    Flavor-wise, it was better than the cotton candy drink, since it wasn't as sickeningly sweet, however, ours was not frozen at all. Ice cold, but not frozen. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Negative. 


Craft Beer


Food:
  • Chilled Scotch Egg wrapped in Sausage w Mustard Sauce    $4.00
  • Zesty Cheeseburger and Cheddar Cheese Macaroni Handwich    $5.50
  • L’Orange Cotton Candy: Lime and Orange Cotton Candy    $4.75
Beverages:
  • M.I.A Beer Company 305 Golden Ale   $4.00
  • JDub’s Passion Wheat     $4.00
  • Central 28 Trekkerbier Farmhouse Ale    $4.00
  • Playalinda Brewing Company Blonde Ale     $4.00
  • Florida Beer Company Passport 35 Triple Chocolate Milk Stout     $4.00
  • Cigar City Guayabera Citra Pale Ale     $4.00
  • Bright Horizons: Sprite w Multi-flavored Boba Pearls (Non-Alcoholic)     $4.50
  • Eastern Florida Flight     $9.00
    • M.I.A. Beer Company 305 Golden Ale
    • Playalinda Brewing Company Blonde Ale
    • Florida Beer Company Passport 35 Triple Chocolate Milk Stout
  • Western Florida Flight     $9.00
    • JDub’s Passion Wheat
    • Central 28 Trekkerbier Farmhouse Ale
    • Cigar City Guayabera Citra Pale Ale




  • What did we try?   Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Handwich
  • How would I describe it?     A bread cone filled with mac and cheese and topped with cheese and chives. 
  • How was the portion/value?   This is pretty big, so $5.50 is not horrible. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   C     I loved the concept of this, however, I found the mac and cheese to be flavorless and greasy. The "cheeseburger" part was really just tiny pieces of finely ground beef. I was so psyched for this one and SO disappointed. Boooo
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   No. No, thanks. 


  • What did we try?   Bright Horizons
  • How would I describe it?     Sprite w Boba pearls
  • How was the portion/value?   $4.50 for a tiny Sprite wouldn't be worth it, but we got a ton of Boba pearls AND it comes with a glow cube, which the kids thought was TOTALLY worth it!
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+     Taste-wise we are just talking about a Sprite. The boba pearls were fruity orange and lime and my kiddo adored them. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   I will purposely avoid this area, because I know my son will make me get this again and I'd rather not blow five bucks on Sprite. 

The Almond Orchard

Food:
  • Cauliflower Risotto w Pulled Chicken, Artichokes, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese and Aged Balsamic    $4.75
  • Fire-roasted Tomato Hummus topped w Blue Diamond Salt & Vinegar Almonds and served w Blue Diamond Nut Thins     $5.25
  • Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae w Fresh Berries and Crunchy Chocolate Oats     $4.50
Beverages:
  • Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin “Yellow Label” Brut     $13.00
  • Dom Pérignon Brut     $32.00
  • Moët & Chandon Brut Rosé Imperial     $16.00
  • Strawberry Smoothie made w Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond milk (Non-Alcoholic)      $4.50
  • What did we try?   Risotto
  • How would I describe it?     Rice w chicken, veggies and nuts
  • How was the portion/value?   $4.75 should have gotten me a bit more, in my opinion. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B     Loved the flavors and textures, expect I got almost NO chicken. Plus is was served cold. Yuck. The balsamic glaze was the saving grace. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   If I could get a warm one, I'd love to try it again. 


Greece



Food:
  • Loaded Greek “Nachos”: Pita Chips, Meatless Sausage Crumbles, and Vegan Tzatziki      $4.50
  • Taste of Greece: Stuffed Grape Leaves w Lemon Dill Sauce, Grilled Octopus and Feta Cheese Dip w Warm Pita      $8.00
  • Spanakopita      $4.25
  • Bougatsa: Warm Phyllo Dough Strudel w Sweet Vanilla Custard, Lemon Honey Syrup and Cinnamon      $4.00
Beverages:
  • Domaine Skouras Moscofilero    $5.00
  • Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko     $7.00
  • Argyros Atlantis Red Blend     $7.00



  • What did we try?   Spanakopita
  • How would I describe it?     Spinach and cheese in phyllo dough
  • How was the portion/value?   $4.25 for two smallish pieces. Not too bad. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   B+     Yum! I don't like feta, but it was very mild in this. The flaky dough was nice and crispy and the filling was tasty. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   Yup!



  • What did we try?   Bousasta
  • How would I describe it?     Sweet phyllo dough with cinnamon and vanilla
  • How was the portion/value?   If I had liked it, $4.00 wouldn't have been terrible, but I was not a fan. 
  • What letter grade would we give it?   D     I have never had this before, so in all fairness, I don't know what it's supposed to be like, but I can't imagine this was it. The syrup that was added made this pastry super messy and wet. I was expecting the filling to be creamy and custard-like but instead it was gritty, eggy and there wasn't much there, (which was probably a good thing). Yuck. 
  • Will we get it again, when we return to the festival?   No way. I'm going back to the Chocolate Studio instead!


--------------


     And there ya have it, kids! That about wraps up my Food and Wine reviews. Don't forget, only two weeks of the Festival left, so get out there and enjoy! And stay tuned right here, because believe it or not... I'll be back in less than three weeks with all of the reviews from the brand new Festival of Holidays!!!
   
     In the meantime, if I've left you hungry for more, reach out to the agents here at Kingdom Konsultant Travel for help planning your next Festival visit! They're the best in the biz! 

     Until next time, have a MAGICAL WEEK!!!!!

- Jenn aka "Tink"

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