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

[NejTheLion]

First off, I have to say how nice the Craft Beers location is. Taking over the Odyssey was a great plan! There's plenty of space, there are high tables and areas with seating, and it's all air conditioned. I hope they continue this in future years, either with the craft beers or something similar. The Odyssey always seems to be a wasted space (I still think back to that one Exquisite Evening I attended).

So, on to the offerings!

I should say that pate is one of my favorite things to eat. I mean, I'll have pate when I'm watching a football game. That said, this pate was pretty good. It was very firm in texture and had a smokiness, reminding me of summer sausage. The carrots were cut large and pickled well. They weren't overly vinegared, but still brought that acidic pop to cut through the richness of the pate.

As for the bread, I could take it or leave it. I prefer a crustier bread with pate, and this suffered a bit from being refrigerated with other moist items. It wasn't that it was soggy; it was just soft.

 

[NejTheLion]

When you order beer, you receive the snack mix along with it. The mix combines cashews, candied peanuts, craisins, wasabi peas, and soy-glazed Asian snacks. It's a good combination of sweet and salty, with a bare hint of heat from the Asian snacks. That is, until you hit one of those peas. I'm not a fan of wasabi peas, and one of those cleared out my nose when I ate it. But I know plenty of people love them, and if you don't, there easy to pick around. The snack mix was a good accompaniment to the beer.

 

[NejTheLion]

I started with this beer to pair with the pate. It had a touch of fruitiness in the smell and taste, which comes from the raspberries that the brewer uses. The wheat aspects came through as well, giving it a nutty taste that went well with the snack mix. I also appreciated that it was nice and chilled, more than I've found in the outdoor food booths.

 

[NejTheLion]

The first thing that surprised me with this dish was its being served in a paper cup. The second surprise was that it was an interesting mix of hot and cold. The bottom of the cup was filled with warm rice, and the top half was filled with the cold conch salad. The third surprise was that the conch was what I had initially thought was some kind of grain. It was chopped very tiny, which helped to keep it tender. But the texture was a little spongy. The conch didn't have much flavor. That came from the tomatoes, onions, peppers, and acidic dressing, reminiscent of ceviche flavors. The heat didn't appear to be strong initially, but it was still with me 5 minutes later.

 

[NejTheLion]

This drink was basically frozen lemonade that tasted like it was crossed with limoncello. There was more taste of citrus zest than citric acid, and I'm sure that bitterness and sweetness came primarily from the floater. A good refreshing choice if you like lemon. Just make sure you grab a straw to swirl it around and mix in the floater before you drink.

 

[NejTheLion]

The outside of the bread was slightly crispy, like the exterior of a biscuit. The inside was very soft and eggy, reminding me of an even spongier gougeres. Some people might think the inside wasn't cooked through all the way, but I'm pretty sure it was. The dough wasn't raw, but it was very different from any "bread" texture that most Americans would be familiar with. As you pulled it apart, the insides stretched almost like cheese. The cheese flavor was lighter than I expected, more milky and creamy than any sharp cheese taste.

 

[NejTheLion]

This wine was brighter than Italian Moscato. It tasted more of white peach rather than the ripe peach/apricot often associated with Moscato. The bubbles were pretty continuous, not too harsh, giving it a very light and refreshing character.

 

[NejTheLion]

Since this comes as one whole bun, I cut it in half for the photo so you could see inside. The bun was very soft, as it should be with this kind of Asian dish. For the filling, ginger was the predominant flavor. It wasn't so strong that it overpowered the sweetness, but the lack of salt and acidity just made the dish fall flat. I'm expecting teriyaki to have a tartness to balance the sweetness, but all I got here was fresh ginger and sweet. At least the amount of filling was correct based on the amount of dough in the bun.

 

[NejTheLion]

To show that small pieces of meat can be cooked beautifully, stop by the Australia booth. Whereas the Canadian filet was a disappointment, the lamb completely delivered. It was terrific, without any gamey taste. The chop was cooked a hair past medium, but not to the point of being medium well, and that's a bout as much as I'll expect from a food booth. It was juicy and well seasoned, and the lamb didn't really need anything else. However, the mint in the pesto brought back that classic flavor pairing. The pesto also included feta cheese, bringing Greek lamb dishes to mind. The pesto was a strong flavor, and I would say you don't need that much of it, but at least you can control how much you have with each bite. The potatoes still had some crispness (hope you don't get them after they've sat because they'll suck up moisture from the pesto pretty quickly). But mine were good and provided a bit of crunch for texture.

 

[NejTheLion]

This wine was juicy and peppery, with good body. The bold taste was not as fruity as some new world red wines, and I thought it was an excellent pairing with lamb.

 

[NejTheLion]

If you're a fan of gooey, melted cheese, then you should enjoy this dish. I'm going to guess they're not quite this melted when they're coming off the griddle, so mine may have sat for a couple minutes. Part of the cheese is crispy, and the rest is melted, so you have a nice mix of textures, along with the crunch of the pistachios. The honey pairs well with the saltiness of the cheese. I'd be curious to see if they always come off this melted or not.

 

[NejTheLion]

Passion Fruit Coconut Creamsicle, Blueberry Lime Cheesecake Roll, Chocolate Espresso Opera Cake

I'll start by saying that I like dessert every now and then, but it's not typically a daily thing for me. That being said, I thought all of these desserts were very good. None were so sweet I didn't enjoy them, but all clearly were desserts based on the amount of sugar.

The blueberry lime cheesecake roll was on the left, and this was my personal favorite. I generally prefer desserts that pair something creamy with fresh fruit, so this fit the bill. The cake and drizzle on top were both blueberry, and the cake roll was very delicate, especially considering how thin it was. The lime zest came out in the cheesecake filling. The brightness of the fruit balanced well with the richness of the dessert.

The passion fruit coconut creamsicle in the middle provided a very tart topping of passion fruit followed by creamy coconut beneath, although the passion fruit was the primary flavor coming through. Creamsicles are my one exception to liking fruit and cream together. For some reason, I don't care for orange in that combination (I don't think it comes off as acidic enough for me), but I did enjoy the passion fruit here. At the very bottom, was a layer of chocolate crumbs, and that part didn't do much for me at all. It didn't have much flavor and only provided a little texture. I would have used something else to get that across...perhaps some toasted coconut to help bring out the coconut flavor more, since this was more about the passion fruit.

The chocolate espresso opera cake lived up to its name: tiny layers of cake, a mixture of chocolate and espresso. I know some people aren't fond of coffee in desserts, and that's what comes through here. The layers did start to slide apart as I ate it, but it was a warm day, and I saved this for last, so I'll take the blame.

Disney pastry chefs always impress, and that's continuing here, in my opinion.

 

[NejTheLion]

To pair with the desserts, I chose the Nectar Imperial because I knew it had a slight touch of sweetness, as opposed to the other champagne offerings. And the offerings here are all real champagne, which is reflected in the price. As I said before, I love sparkling wine and have even visited a few of these outside Reims (Moët and Ruinart). I think the Nectar Imperial is a good option for someone who may not like the yeasty taste that is present in many champagnes.

 

[mandis77]

This is great! - I'm taking notes We are 9 days away and I'm starving!

 

[SusieBea]

I'm so glad you've done this thread. We arrive on Sunday. I'm particularly looking forward to the corn/potato hash and the sliders. My DH will be more into the fish/seafood items. Thank you!

 

[jordansmama]

Thanks so much for your reviews (keep 'em coming). I'll be there is 33 days. Can NOT wait!!

 

[Pinkzeppe]

Awesome reviews - thanks so much! subbing!

 

[Deffenm]

Thank you so much for sharing this information. We will be attending out first F&W Fest and this will help me determine what I want to try.

 

[Aerinha]

Thanks for all the reviews. Don't know how I am going to wait until 10/26 when I arrive.

The duck bun has been on and off my list of things to try. I think you got it back on.

 

[Couchy]

Thanks for the reviews. You are helping me in my own planning process