Friday, October 19, 2012

EPCOT Food and Wine Festival 2012

No, not a rant today, either.  Just some "wine" (haha, "whine," get it?).

I've gone to the Food and Wine festival twice so far this year, trying several things -- trying to "eat my way around the world."  Unfortunately, I've gotten older and can't put it away like I used to!  Anyway, here are my hits and misses of what I've tried so far -- more to come later, still 3+ weeks left!

Destinations Dish Impression
Terra Chili Colorado Very tasty and a good texture; would not have guessed it was meatless!
Silk Berry Smoothie Horrid. It was basically just Strawberry Silk in a glass (maybe it was too warm? If so, they should not have sold it to me). It upset my stomach.
Caribbean
Argentina
Australia
Mexico
Scandinavia
China
South Korea
South Africa
Cheese
Brewer's Collection
Germany
Poland Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie Awesome, flavorful and filling.
Zapiekanki Pretty dry and bland (mainly bread with a very thin layer of "stuff")
Italy
Fife and Drum
Hops and Barley
Florida Local
Japan
Singapore Beef Rendang Very good. I'm not a fan of coconut, but this was good -- a little heat, but not overpowering.
Morocco Merguez Sausage Very good. The sausage was mildly spicy, but good with the pita.  The pita was oversized, I ate about 1/3 of it with the sausage.
Baklava Awesome. They didn't skimp on the honey (or whatever sweetened it), it made a great "sweet" for a dessert.
New Zealand Lamb Meatball Good.  The lamb was good, and the tomato chutney was a nice complement to it.
Belgium Truffles Not worth it, this is just a package of truffles you could buy in the store.
France Coq au Vin The chicken was good, and the sauce/gravy was very flavorful. The macaroni was weird as a "bed" but it went with the overall dish. The attitude was just what I expected from France (a tad snotty / impatient), really added an authentic flair to the experience!
Ireland Warm Chocolate Lava Cake Should be "scalding," not "warm." Had to let it cool, but it was great!
Canada Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Definitely on my list of "must try." Le Cellier is one of the more exclusive dining areas in EPCOT, and this dish shows it off very well.
Greece Chicken Souvlaki This was good, but nothing more than what I expected. The smells from this booth definitely draw you in!
Spanakopita This is a "spinach pie."  Very good, cheesy (feta, I believe), exceeded my expectations. It looks a little unappetizing, but good nonetheless.
Desserts and Champagne They offer a "try all 3" -- I'd recommend it! Yogurt Panna Cotta - this was very fruity and good
Lemon Custard Verrine - also very fruity, but nothing surprising
Dark Chocolate Mousse with Chili and Salted Caramel - yes, Chili ... it started as just chocolate, and then the heat built up slowly. Really confused me! I think I liked it, but it was more of a novelty of having the spicy and chocolatey tastes together (I'm such an American, eh?)
Hawai'i Pork Slider Very good BBQ, the pineapple chutney was unexpectedly good.
Tuna Poke Very good; I had this last year and it was much the same. Sushi-grade tuna (several thick chunks) are set against some pickled seaweed. As with the breads, I threw out half of the seaweed, it thought the ratio was a bit off (for me).
Craft Beers

You'll notice that there were no wines or beers on my list. I'm not a big drinker, and go more for the food than the wine/beer. However, there were several groups (with shirts!!) that were drinking their way around the world. From their enthusiasm, they were having a great time!

I'll update the list as I return, instead of trying to make separate posts.

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