Along with the food I had sampled at EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival, I also enjoyed the dishes listed below at other parks and resorts at the the Walt Disney World Resort:
OTHER FOOD AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT
Beef Empanadas Platter: Fairfax Fare (Hollywood Studios) - I had purchased this dish, served with rice and some corn salad (don’t ask) at the Hollywood Studios because I had forgotten to sample the empanadas served at the Food & Wine Festival. It was . . . mediocre and not very substantial.
Chicken Pot Pie: Columbia Harbor House (Magic Kingdom) - Despite the lack of a crust, this chicken pot pie proved to be surprisingly delicious. Unlike the image, I had homemade potato chips served with my pie.
Hawaiian Tamarind Flavored Chicken Wings: Captain Cook's (Polynesian Resort) - One could never call me a big fan of chicken wings, but I must admit that these in particular were excellent thanks to the sweet and sour flavor of the sauce.
Land and Sea Platter: ABC Commissary (Hollywood Studios) - My sister and I shared this surprisingly delicious and filling platter that featured chicken strips, pieces of fried fish, shrimp and french fries.
St. Louis Pork Ribs: Flame Tree BBQ (Animal Kingdom) - These ribs have always been a mixed bag for me. When I first had them years ago, I found them disappointing. The last time I had them (seven years ago), they were delicious. This year? They were okay. The cole slaw and baked beans sides were more than delicious.
Sweet and Spice Chicken Waffles: Sleepy Hollow Refreshment (Magic Kingdom) - Served with homemade potato chips, this chicken waffle sandwich was absolutely delicious. However, the chicken may have been a tad too hot at times.
Fish and Chips: Yorkshire County Fish Shop (EPCOT) - What can I say? Well, my sister had said it best . . . they were perfect. Perfect!
Pork Fried Rice: Captain Cook's (Polynesian Resort) - A delicious fried rice dish topped with slow-roasted pork. Although not a big fan of fried rice, I thought it was pretty good. And the amount of roast pork nearly overwhelms the fried rice.
Beef Nachos: Pecos Bill Tall Tales Cafe & Inn (Magic Kingdom) - Well, this dish really blew my mind. This was the best version of nachos; served with ground beef, corn salad, salsa and sour cream; I have ever tasted. And I did not have to deal with any faux cheese sauce (which I loathe) ruining it. Two thumbs up!
Plantation Key Pork Chop: Olivia’s Cafe (Old Key West Resort) - Olivia’s Cafe is known for its fried chicken breast. But honestly, I think this grilled bone-in pork chop, brined and glazed with an apple-white balsamic gastriqu, beats it. Along with the pork chop was an excellent salad made with sweet potatoes, apples, onions, arugula, cranberries, candied nuts, mixed an apple vinaigrette.-----------------------------------------------------Have any of you can recall any memorable dishes you had experienced at Walt Disney World Resort?
Recently, I had enjoyed a vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort. During my stay, I discovered that the resort’s annual Food & Wine Festival was being held at the EPCOT theme park. Below is a sample of the food I had enjoyed at the festival:
EPCOT FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2019
Twinings Pumpkin Spice Chai and Chocolate Shake - This was a damn good drink. It was refreshing and delicious.
Roasted Irish Sausage with Colcannon Potatoes and Onion Gravy - This was a pretty decent dish from Ireland's booth at the festival. However, I thought the onion flavor in the gravy overpowered everything.
Crème Brûlée - I do not know what to say about this famous French dessert. I realize that it is highly regarded by many. But if I must be honest, I found it overrated. The hardened caramelized sugar layer on top added much needed flavor to the dish’s bland custard. What else can I say?
Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans and Tomato - I liked this dish from the Brazil booth, but I did not love it. My problem was that the black beans seemed to overwhelm the pork belly. Come to think of it, I thought it nearly overwhelmed the tomato topping.
Kāalua Pork Slider with Sweet-and-Sour DOLE Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise - Oh . . . my . . . God! This was my favorite selection at the festival. It was soooo damn good. The mixture of roast pork, pineapple and spice was . . . what can I say? It was nirvana inside my mouth.
Traditional Sicilian Cannoli - This dessert from the Italy booth was excellent as always. In fact, I later bought a regular size cannoli at one of the coffee booths at the Italy Pavillion.
New England Lobster Roll - This traditional American sandwich was excellent. The lobster meat was fresh. And it wasn’t overwhelmed by the mayonnaise.
Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce - This dessert from the Germany dessert was probably my favorite one at the festival. It was delicious and the vanilla sauce blended well with it. More importantly, I was provided with a nicely sized portion of it. Excellent!
Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp with Citrus-Scented Couscous - I suspect that the seasoning for this dish (piri piri) originated from Mozambique. Nevertheless, this was probably my second favorite dish at the festival. The mixture of the grilled shrimp with the couscous and the tomato-based topping was superb.
Teriyaki Chicken Bun - This dish from the Japan booth was not only delicious, but also surprising since the filling made from chicken, vegetables and Teriyaki sauce was cooked inside a bao - a bread I usually associate with China. Nevertheless, it was damn good.
Nigerian Meat Pie - This was a delicious selection for me, but it did not exactly knock my socks off. I did not realize that curry was popular in Nigeria. Ignorant me.
The Impossible Burger - I am not usually a big fan of the plant-based meat substitute, but this Impossible burger nearly knocked my socks off. It was better than the beef burger served at another booth.
Chicken Dumplings with Chinese Slaw - This was a nice little item that I found tasty, but not exactly mind blowing. I do wish the serving could have been a little bigger.
Spice-Crusted Verlasso Salmon - This excellent smoke salmon was fresh and full of flavor. And I say thank goodness, because the quinoa salad that accompanied it taste like horsefeed to me. But the latter is quite tolerable if you mix this excellent salmon and the avocado topping with it.
Smoked Corned Beef with Crispy Potatoes, Cheese Curds, Pickled Onions, and Beer-Cheese Fondue - I would say that this was my third favorite dish at the festival. It was sooo good and a nice hefty portion was provided. The mixture of the smoked meat, potatoes and fondue nearly blew my mind. However, I wish they had left out the cheese curds. Unnecessary.
Pacifico True Striped Bass Tostada with Slaw and Fire-roasted Tomatillo Sauce - The festival provided another dish featuring fresh seafood - this time, striped bass. I had my doubts about it being served with slaw and on a deep fried tostada, but I ended up enjoying it very much.
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I do have one minor complaint about the festival. I realize it was the "Food & Wine Festival", but I wish that it had provided more unusual drinks that were NOT alcoholic . . . like that shake I had experienced. Have any of you been there lately?
