This is it! On January 8th The Epcot International Festival of the Arts will start and run through Feb. 22, 2021. This festival is a party for the eyes, and the taste buds!
There will be 15 Food Studios to showcase the best in culinary art – blending colorful ingredients, unique cooking techniques, and imaginative presentations to create edible masterpieces for the plate and glass.
PLUS Returning this year is the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine, a fun food stroll highlighting five delicious sweet and savory offerings at the festival – all listed in the Festival Passport. Upon this colorful purchase, you will receive a stamp for your Festival Passport. Once you have collected all five stamps, you can bring your Festival Passport to the Decadent Delights Food Studio to receive an adorable complimentary Artist Palette Cookie.
Now, drumroll please.. get read for your mouth to water!
Refreshment Port (Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
Lobster Poutine: Lobster, Lobster Bisque Cheese Sauce, Pickled Jalapeños, and Citrus Cream (NEW)
I did it! I tried the Lobster Poutine! ($10.50)
So first.. It was cold, I don't think it's supposed to be cold, but it was.. the lobster felt like it just came out of the fridge, and the lobster bisque cheese sauce was barely warm.
BUT.. it was good! Better than I expected.
On a scale of 1 to would eat again I give it a 5.
Beverages:
Barrel of Monks Brewing Raspberry Beret, Boca Raton, FL (NEW)
Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA
Citrus Blossom (Showcase Plaza)
Beverages:
Orange Cream Shake in a Souvenir Orange Bird Sipper Cup (non-alcoholic)
Lost Coast Brewery Tangerine Wheat Ale, Eureka, CA
Florida Orange Groves Winery Selections
Key Limen
Strawberry Blush
Orange Sunshine
Sparkling Key Lime
Sparkling Cranberry
Sparkling Blueberry
The Deconstructed Dish (Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
Deconstructed Reuben: Rye Popover, Corned Beef, Gryuère Panna Cotta and Brined Brussels Sprouts with Broken Thousand Island Dressing ($6.75)
So, I did not personally try this dish, Im not the biggest Reuben fan,but a friend I was at the festival with tried it, first, the dish was beautiful! I loved the food porn of it all! My friend Blake that tried this said it was delicious, and the "Broken thousand island" was awesome. Although his wife mentioned the brussel sprouts were not cooked. (Which to me isn't a problem)
Deconstructed BLT: Crispy Pork Belly, Soft-poached Egg, Brioche, Watercress Espuma, and Tomato Jam
Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake: Whipped New York-style Cheesecake with Fresh Florida Strawberries and Sugar Cookies
Beverages:
Rainboba: Fruit Bursting Boba with Sparkling Water (non-alcoholic)
Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings of London® Chai Tea Shake with Maple Syrup garnished with a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon (Non-alcoholic)
Deconstructed Breakfast: Twinings of London® Chai Tea Shake with Cream Bourbon garnished with a Waffle Crisp and Candied Bacon
Decadent Delights (Promenade Refreshments)
Food Items:
Raspberry Soft-serve Ice Cream (New)
Lemon Soft-serve Ice Cream (New)
Artist Palette Cookie
Beverages:
North Coast Brewing Co. Scrimshaw Pilsner, Fort Bragg, CA
M.I.A. Beer Company Deco IPA, Doral, FL
Saugatuck Brewing Co. Peanut Butter Porter, Douglas, MI
Beer Flight also available
Pop Eats (Showcase Plaza)
Food Items:
Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese (New)
Tomato Soup with French Onion and Bacon Grilled Cheese (New)
Shrimp Ceviche with Lime Mint Foam (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)
Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Belgian Chocolate
Pop’t Art: Modern-designed Sugar Cookie with Strawberry Filling
Beverages:
#RainbowSherbetGlitterDreamAle by Playalinda Brewing Co., Titusville, FL
Popping Bubbles Cocktail
Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary
Refreshment Outpost
Food Items:
Plant-based Bratwurst with Spicy Turmeric Aïoli, Coffee Barbecue Jackfruit, and Slaw
Warm Brown Sugar-stuffed Pretzel with Banana Soft-serve Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce
Beverages:
Frozen Slushy Coca-Cola® or Minute Maid® Lemonade in a Souvenir Spike The Bee Sipper Cup (non-alcoholic)
Playalinda Brewing Co. Blue Raspberry Blonde, Titusville, FL (New)
Cuisine Classique
Food Items:
Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with Parsnip Purée, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes, and Aged Balsamic
Coq au Vin: Chicken Roulade with Violet Mustard, Candied Carrots, Pancetta Crisp, Marble Potatoes, and Beurre Rouge Sauce (New)
Opera Cake: Almond Joconde, Coffee Buttercream, and Chocolate Ganache (New)
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie
Beverages:
3 Daughters Brewing Rosé Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
81Bay Brewing Rosé Blonde Ale, Tampa, FL
Frozen Rosé
Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva Art Series, Logrono, Spain
Domaine Savary Chablis, Burgundy
A Play on Rosé Flight
The Artist’s Table
Food Items:
Beef Wellington: Mushroom Duxelle, Prosciutto, and Puff Pastry with Red Wine Demi-Glace and Fennel Cream
Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Parmesan Crisp (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) ($7.00)
So I am always a sucker for a parmesan crisp first and foremost. BUT let's chat about this scallop.. DELISH. I was actually so dissapointed there was only one.. I do have to say the Roasted Red Pepper Coulis with Chorizo under the scallop was just meh though.. It didn't really offer much to the dish or have any burst of flavor. Worth it for the scallop though.. and of course the Parmesan Crisp!
On a scale of 1 to I would eat again, Ill give it an 8
My friend Lindsay loved this dish as well!
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie ($5.50)
I mean honestly.. whats not to love?
Beverages:
SippingChocolate Flight: White, Milk, and Dark Chocolate (non-alcoholic)
Saugatuck Brewing Co. Neapolitan Milk Stout, Douglas, MI
Lexington Brewing Company Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale, Lexington, KY
Lindemans Framboise Lambic, Belgium
Âme du Vin Côtes de Provence Rosé
Writer’s Block Pinot Noir, Lake County, CA
Symphony in Chocolate Flight: Mozart Cream Liqueurs paired with Sipping Chocolates
Beer Flight also available
Mosaic Canteen (Morocco)
Food Items:
Mediterranean Flatbread with Zaatar Pesto, Artichokes, Roasted Peppers, Sundried Tomatoes, and Fennel Cream (New)
Harissa-roasted Rack of Lamb with Baba Ganoush, Picholine Olives, Toybox Tomatoes, Preserved Lemons, and Pomegranate (New)
Mouskoutchou: Orange Cake with Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Orange) (New)
Beverages:
1906 Reserva Especial Dark Amber Lager (New)
Maeloc Blackberry Hard Cider (New)
Vibrante & Vívido Food Studio (Between Morocco & France)
Food Items:
Chilled Seafood Cocktail with Octopus, Scallops, Shrimp, Black Garlic Aïoli, Tomato-Coconut Sauce, and Serrano-Lime Oil (New)
Blue Corn Pupusa-stuffed with Cheese and topped with Shredded Pork, Guajillo and Árbol Chile Sauce, Cabbage Slaw, and Aji Amarillo Crema (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Blue) (New)
Passion Fruit Mousse with Dragon Fruit Jam (New)
Beverages:
Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie (non-alcoholic) (New)
Frozen Piña Colada (New)
Passion Fruit Daiquiri (New)
Festival Favorites (World Showplace)
Food Items:
Remy’s Ratatouille with Eggplant, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Tomatoes, and Red Pepper Piperade (Plant-based) (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Red) (New) ($5.00)
Isn't it pretty? Just like in the movie!
It was delicious too! I was a little unsure at first about the tomato sauce.. there was something about it.. but it grew on me! It needed just a pinch of salt, but otherwise..
On a scale of 1 to would eat again, I would eat it again!
Charcuterie with Meats and Cheeses featuring Nueske’s® Applewood Smoked Beef ($14.00)
I'm also a sucker for a good charcuterie!
That smoked beef? UG I could have eaten a lot more of that, it makes the whole tray worthy!
Everything on the board was delicious, but the pate could have used a little more oomph.
On a scale of 1 to would eat again, I would eat it again!
Lemon Blood-Orange Tart
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate-Chip Cookie
Beverages:
Blue Sky Black Cherry Boba Freeze (non-alcoholic)
3 Daughters Brewing Strawberry Blonde Nitro, St. Petersburg, FL
Breckenridge Brewery Nitro Vanilla Porter, Breckenridge, CO
M.I.A. Beer Company Milk Stout Nitro, Doral, FL
Cold Fashioned Coffee Cocktail
Neapolitan Beer Flight
The Painter’s Palate (World Showplace)
Food Items:
Prime Steak Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Parsley Salad, Béarnaise Anglaise, and Sous Vide Quail Egg (New) ($8.50)
HONESTLY, the lighting in this place when you are trying to take food pictures... *insert eye roll here*
But let's talk flavor. This tartar lacked it. The egg helped, and I'm not sure what the pickled veggies that didn't seem pickled at all added but it was a disappointment.
On a scale of 1 to would eat again, meh, skip it.
Salt-roasted Beet Tartare with Pickled Vegetables, Parsley Salad, and Béarnaise Aïoli (Plant-based) (New)
Pistachio Cake with Cherry Mousse and Morello Cherries (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Green) (New)
Beverages:
Kalimotxo: Red Wine Cocktail with Pibb® Xtra (New)
Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail (New)
Pinord La Dama Reserva Familiar Brut Rosé, Spain
Masterpiece Kitchen
Food Items
Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings, and Zinfandel Reduction
Salmon and Cream Gâteau with Egg Yolk Cream, Paddlefish Caviar, and Micro-Herbs
Vanilla, Rose Water, and Pistachio Panna Cotta (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – Pink)
Beverages:
Weihenstephaner Original Lager, Freising, Germany
Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque Brut Champagne
The Meeker Vineyard Winemakers’ Handprint Merlot, Sonoma County, CA
Pinord La Dama Reserva Familiar Brut, Spain
Classic Sidecar with a Chocolate Twist
L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)
Food Items:
Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm Creamy Brie in a House-made Bread Bowl
Croissant à la Truffle Noir d’Hiver: Black Winter Truffle Croissant (New)
Pretty AND Delicious!
On a scale of 1 to would eat again, I'll give it an 8
Moelleux à la Framboise et aux Chocolats Valrhona: Molten Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with Pure Origin Valrhona Chocolates (New)
Trio de Macarons: Assortment of Three House-made Macarons in a Gift Box
I mean... "gift box" is a strong word..
If you are used to getting macaroons inside France, keep in mind these are smaller. Delicious. But smaller.
Near as we can tell, there was pistachio raspberry, some sort of butterscotch flavor, and some sort of coffee flavor. All good, but the second go around, we went into France and got the big ones!
Beverages:
Frozen French Martini: Grey Goose, Vodka, Chambord Liqueur, Pineapple, Orange, and Grape Juice with Lemon-Lime Foam
Charles Lafite, Brut Méthode Traditionnelle Champenoise, French Sparkling Wine
Château La Gordonne, Vérité du Terroir, Côtes de Provence Rosé (New)
Bordeaux Merlot and Cabernet Blend, Baron des Chartrons, 2015 (New)
El Artista Hambriento (Mexico)
Food Items:
Chile Relleno: Fried Poblano Pepper filled with Flank Steak, Black Beans, and Tomatoes drizzled with a Poblano Cream Sauce (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New) ($7.25)
So I LOVE me a good Chile Relleno, the problem is, everyone covers it in sauce and it looses it's crispy! Nothing different here, but it was in fact made of yumminess!
On a scale of 1 to would eat again, I would eat it again!
Pork Belly Pastor: Pastor-marinated Pork Belly atop Boniato Purée with Charred Pineapple and Crispy Cilantro (Gluten/Wheat Friendly) (New) ($7.50)
**BEST IN SHOW**
You had me at Pork Belly! I'm a sucker for pork belly (do you guys feel like I've been saying that a lot? I feel like I have been saying that a lot lol) Anyway.. z'omg I think everyone that ate this in the group I was with agrees this was their favorite dish of the day!
On a scale of 1 to would eat again, I would eat it again (and probably again)
Taco de Chocolate: Chocolate Candy Shell filled with Mexican Chocolate Mousse with a touch of Chile topped with Tropical Fruit (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)(New)
Beverages:
Mexican Craft Beer: Tulum Artisanal Lager crafted with Citrus notes and made with Mexican Caribbean Seawater
Diego Pomegranate Margarita: Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, Pomegranate-Prickly Pear Juice, Blackcurrant Liqueur, and Rose Petal Liqueur with a Hibiscus Salt Rim ($14.25)
Ok, I have a secret to tell you.. the margaritas at the outdoor kitchens, or the outside location of Mexico, are not NEARLY as good as the margaritas in the tequila bar inside Mexico. There. I said it.
BUT WAIT!! This margarita is an exception to that rule. SO. GOOD. Only thing that would make it better is if they added habanero.
On a scale of 1 to would drink again, I would drink it again!
(BTW did I mention that Im a sucker for a good margarita? LOL)
Frida Carrot Margarita: Casa Noble Blanco Tequila, Carrot Juice, Ginger Cordial, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar (SIDE NOTE: Not a chance in hell was I trying this blasphemous insult to Mexico) 🤣
Goshiki (Japan)
Food Items:
Stone Garden: Red Bean Mousse with Chocolate Rocks and Arare Rice Cracker Pebbles (New)
Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped Sushi featuring Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Cucumber and Sesame Seed over a decorated plate of Wasabi Aïoli, Sriracha and Eel Sauce ($8.25)
The Sushi Donut! We weren't sure exactly how to tackle this thing, so we broke it off into sections. Hind sight, I would take the cucumber and put a slice on each section for that freshness!
The "donut" was delicious though! I have been disappointed they haven't brought back my spicy tuna and salmon hand roll, but this will work for now.
On a scale of 1 to I would eat it again, I'm eating it again on Saturday ;)
Vegetable Gyoza: Vegetable-filled Spinach Gyoza with Tofu atop Mashed Potatoes with a Kamaboko Fish Cake, Pepper Strings and Tonkatsu Teriyaki Sauce
Beverages:
Haiku Draft Lager (New)
Masu Sake in a Traditional Personalized Wooden Cup ($12.50)
First, let's talk about how cool these cups are! Now mind you, they aren't the easiest to drink out of lol but they are fun and they write your name in Japanese! The Sake is delicious of course, and with the smell of the bamboo wood, it completely changes the flavor! YUM! On a scale of 1 to would drink again, I'll drink a few more times! ;)
IDEA: I am taking mine and planting a succulent in it!
Pink Snow: Sake, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry Juice, and Calpico dusted with Snowflake Confetti (New)
The Painted Panda (China)
Food Items:
Old Shanghai Shi Zi Tou: Pork and Water Chestnut Meatballs served with Taro Root (New)
Sichuan Red Hot Mala Shrimp (New)
Beverages:
“Panda” Bubble Tea: Classic Milk Tea with Black and White Boba Pearls (non-alcoholic) ($7.25)
I mean, what could go wrong? Bubbalicious.
Jasmine Draft Beer
Fortune Cookie: ByeJoe Spirit, Amaretto, and Piña Colada Mix
Kung Fu Punch: Vodka and Triple Sec
Sea Butterfly: Butterfly Pea Flower infused Cocktail with Lychee Syrup, Vodka, Light Rum, and Magic Boba Pearls ($12.50)
Pretty isn't it? Well, I didn't actually try it becuase well.. the first words out of my friend Manny's mouth was "It tastes like a F@#$'in candle" So there ya go. 🤣
L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)
Food Items:
Arancini: Sweet Sausage fried Risotto Balls with Pomodoro Sauce (New)
L’Aragosta: Lobster Ravioli with Vanilla-Saffron Cream Sauce and Shredded Chili Peppers (New) ($15.00)
Lobster Ravioli! This is one of the more expensive bites at the festival, and if you aren't used to spending money on good food, this one might hurt a little. However, my friends Jason and Lindsay tried it and said it was amazing! I tried it on Saturday and yes it was yummy, but I felt like it needed a little spice!
I felt like it was a pretty dish but needed something else to make it more elegant for what you were paying for.
On a scale of 1 to I would eat it again, Imma give it an 8!
Bomboloni: Cream-filled Italian Doughnut with Raspberry Sauce and Powdered Sugar (New)
Beverages:
Peroni Pilsner
Pinot Grigio
Chianti
Prosecco
Rosa Regale
Moscato
Italian White Sangria with Prosecco
Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon
Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello
AmarettoBellini: Amaretto, White Peach Purée, and Prosecco
Bergamotto: Italicus Rosolio Di Bergamotto, Prosecco, and Cerignola Olive
Funnel Cake
Red Velvet Funnel Cake topped with Cream Cheese Icing and Pixie Dust (New)
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
Showcase Plaza – Caramel Canvas Latte: Artisan Latte with Peanut Butter Syrup, Caramel, and Dark Chocolate Sauce topped with SNICKERS® Original Candy Pieces paired with a doughnut
The American Adventure – Color-Me-Latte: Made for a true artiste with Espresso, Swiss Chocolate Syrup, and Dark Chocolate Sauce sprinkled with M&M’s® Candies paired with a doughnut
Future World East – Starry Night Latte: Paint the sky with this Espresso beverage with Dulce de Leche, White Chocolate, and Dark Chocolate Sauce topped with MILKY WAY® Bar Pieces paired with a doughnut
Canada – Creative Twist Latte: Stretch your imagination with this Latte with Brown Butter Toffee Syrup and Swiss Chocolate Syrup topped with TWIX® Bar Pieces paired with a doughnut ($9.99)
I did not get the best picture of this pairing, but the Creative Twist Latte and donut pairing in Canada was DELISH!! I got it on the way out, so I could have the Latte for the road and it hit the spot! I can't wait to try one of the other specials by Joffreys this weekend!
I'm drooling, how about you? Stay tuned as I add my favorite eats and sips and some pictures to this blog post to offer you even more mouth watering information!
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