Fourteen Days of Food Booths - Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2014

[NejTheLion]

This wine tasted just as I would expect, like fermented black raspberry juice. There wasn't much more to it than that. It was sweet, but not as sweet as a typical dessert wine, and it also wasn't as tart as the juice would be on its own. If you enjoy other non-grape wines, or if you're not a fan of wine in general, you might enjoy this.

 

[NejTheLion]

This is one I had sampled at the Tables in Wonderland preview dinner in July, and it was just as good now, if not better. The hash is a good mix of all the ingredients. No one element takes over. I'll admit I ate around the bell peppers a little bit, as those are not my favorite thing. But the bacon, potatoes, and corn were all very tasty. The pickled jalapenos were great and added the acidity that was needed, but the heat definitely crept up hot in the back of my throat. The hollandaise was a rich, creamy element to top it off. The smells coming from this booth make you stop and take notice. Between this and the yard bird, I think it's one of the best overall booths at the festival. The quality of the ingredients definitely shine through.

 

[NejTheLion]

This was the suggested pairing with the hash. I enjoy Riesling quite a bit, and the sweetness went well with the saltiness and smokiness of the bacon. Also good to note that it wasn't too sweet for the corn. Light and fruity, but still balanced.

 

[NejTheLion]

I'll start by saying that mussels are some of my favorite seafood. With that said, I don't know that I can recommend these. The topping was nice, with the bread crumbs still crispy and a touch of lemon. The problem is in cooking mussels. Steamed mussels are delicious, but once you remove them from moisture and stick them under a heat lamp, they quickly go from good to bad. The mussels had a stronger taste than I would expect, and sitting under heat made them a bit dry and chewy. I don't know if it's possible to ask to wait for a fresh serving, but if you want to try these, that's what I would do.

 

[NejTheLion]

I'm generally a fan of Kim Crawford wines, so I wanted to try their latest unoaked Chardonnay. I think this is a great Chardonnay for anyone who doesn't care for the big wines from California. Without the oak, the wine stays light to taste, fresher like a Sauvignon Blanc, but it has good body and a surprisingly slightly creamy feel.

 

[NejTheLion]

This was another dish I had previewed. I enjoyed it then and now. The quality of this salmon is terrific. It has a very rich, but clean taste, and I was thrilled that this fish was seasoned, not relying on the sauce for flavor. Speaking of the chimichurri, I thought it was a little strong. The fish is so good that I would be judicious in how much of that you eat with the salmon. My issue here was with the quinoa. I like quinoa, and for a quinoa salad, this was a bit light on the quinoa. There were plenty of other things in the salad, and I'm not even sure there was enough quinoa to consider it filler. But I can't say anything negative about the taste.

 

[NejTheLion]

This rose had just a touch of sweetness, thankfully not too much for the salmon. It had enough body to stand up to this flavorful dish, while still being refreshing.

 

[NejTheLion]

Those who listen to the DIS Unplugged podcast may be familiar with the "sad, little crab cake." This was the "turf" version, and I dub it the sad, little filet. The mushrooms? Very good. The truffle butter sauce? Delicious. But it was criminal what was done with this beef. And they had just cooked this one fresh, so no excuses. I understand that this is going to be a small portion of filet, and I know that it is challenging to cook a small portion well. But it can be done, and that was not the case here. The beef was very well done, so a beautiful piece of filet became chewy and tough. This is not worth the price. It's not worth half the price. This is not where you say, "We couldn't get a reservation at Le Cellier, so let's have this instead." Skip!

 

[NejTheLion]

The Syrah was a good pairing, even though I didn't care for the filet. Although dry, it was softer than other Syrah I've had, and the earthiness went well with the mushrooms and sauce.

 

[NejTheLion]

Well, this was tasty--rich chocolate covered with an Irish cream sauce (wouldn't quite call it a custard). And remember that a pudding here is going to be closer to a cake than what Americans would consider pudding. The problem with this dish was the size. If I was being generous, I would say it was 3 bites, but more like 2 big ones. So, your call on whether it's worth it.

 

[NejTheLion]

So, potcheen appears to be the Irish version of moonshine--brewed in small pots and illegal until recently. In any case, this is just what it says. Chilled Irish coffee, mixed with Irish cream and an extra shot of alcohol. Very yummy and refreshing.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

This is one I had sampled at the Tables in Wonderland preview dinner in July, and it was just as good now, if not better. The hash is a good mix of all the ingredients. No one element takes over. I'll admit I ate around the bell peppers a little bit, as those are not my favorite thing. But the bacon, potatoes, and corn were all very tasty. The pickled jalapenos were great and added the acidity that was needed, but the heat definitely crept up hot in the back of my throat. The hollandaise was a rich, creamy element to top it off. The smells coming from this booth make you stop and take notice. Between this and the yard bird, I think it's one of the best overall booths at the festival. The quality of the ingredients definitely shine through.

Everyone seems to love this but me. I threw half of mine away. I just didn't like it at all (but it smells amazing)

done, so a beautiful piece of filet became chewy and tough. This is not worth the price. It's not worth half the price. This is not where you say, "We couldn't get a reservation at Le Cellier, so let's have this instead." Skip!

This meat sounds just like my last steak at Le Cellier. so you could eat it and see what you get for wasting all that $$$.

That said, the piece I had Friday was cooked much better so it's a risk on this. I found that out last year. Just depends on the "time and day"

 

[Pfau]

That hash! *dies* *goes to heaven-ish*

 

[NejTheLion]

Everyone seems to love this but me. I threw half of mine away. I just didn't like it at all (but it smells amazing)


This meat sounds just like my last steak at Le Cellier. so you could eat it and see what you get for wasting all that $$$.

That said, the piece I had Friday was cooked much better so it's a risk on this. I found that out last year. Just depends on the "time and day"

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Le Cellier either. And you're absolutely right. All of these could be better or worse when someone else tries them. With this kind of mass production, there's bound to be some variation, although we can only hope for better consistency. So far, I haven't come across anything where I thought the whole concept of the dish didn't work. With the filet, because of the price, I think there are much better and safer things to try.

 

[staceyeileen]

Thanks for the pictures! Can you also post the prices?

 

[mrsd1]

Ahh, you are making my mouth water! We will be there in 37 days. Can't wait! Thanks for posting.

 

[mzpoirot]

Thanks for posting! 24 more days!

 

[NejTheLion]

Thanks for the pictures! Can you also post the prices?

Photos of the menu boards with prices are posted here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/index.htm#market

Just click on the names of the booths to see them.

 

[bluetenshi55]

We'll be there in just over a month. So excited! Thanks for the reviews. The descriptions can be sooo great and the dishes sometimes can't live up to them.

 

[cajunbaby1]

I can't wait to,get there in October. You can go,to the Disney Food Blog site and they have the current prices for the different food booths. There's photos too. I made myself soo hungry looking at the menus tonight. : )