Just back from our first F&W trip! We were only there for 3.5 days (Thurs - Sun), but DH and I spent time at the festival every day despite hitting all the other parks as well. First, a few general observations...Thursday was great and so much less crowded. But the other days, although the main thoroughfare was crowded, we never stood in line more than a few minutes at a booth. We also were always able to find a table. Epcot definitely needs more shade though, and more umbrella tables. It was incredibly hot and at some point hot food doesn't taste as good when the weather is so humid. On our last day, we found a great seating area between the Rose & Crown and the Ireland booth. It looks at first glance like it's part of the R&C, but it's not. We sat here for awhile and it never filled up, despite others eating standing up outside the area.
Here's my quick takes on the food we tried...
Brazil
Escondidinho de Carne - Just okay. There didn't seem to be a lot of meat.
Cheese Bread - DH really liked this, but the consistency bothered me a little. Felt like underdone dough.
Frozen Caipirinha - Very tart, but good, especially in the heat.
Australia
Bush Berry Shrimp - Mostly just spicy, not a lot of other flavor.
Lamb Chop - Very good, especially with the pesto of which there was plenty.
Lamington - My very favorite dessert of the festival. It's all the things I love
Shiraz - A good Shiraz, but not earth shattering.
Germany
Bratwurst Pretzel Roll - Very good, but there was a lot more bratwurst than pretzel roll.
Apple Strudel - Good flavor but the sauce seemed watery.
Oppenheimer Riesling - Nice and sweet.
Coastal Eats
Lump Crab Cake - I don't like crab cakes, but DH enjoyed it.
Seared Scallops - Very good and there were more scallops than I expected per serving.
Pinot Gris - Just okay.
Block and Hans
Frozen Spiked Tea - Not very tea like, but yummy. Had more of a fruit flavor and was bright red.
Hops & Barley
Lobster Roll - Had a very clean taste, not a strong, fake-lobster taste.
Smoked Brisket and Pimiento Cheese - Very yummy, but not nearly enough pimiento cheese.
Carrot Cake - Moist and cinnamony.
Beer Flight - All three were good but I especially liked the coffee flavored one.
Farm Fresh
Crispy Chicken - Really good, and the portions of the chicken, cornbread and gravy were equal.
Raspberry Hard Cider - I love raspberry and this had a strong flavor.
Japan
Wasabi Dumplings - One of my favorites from the whole festival. The wasabi was just present enough to give flavor without overpowering.
BLT Sushi Roll - Good, but really hard to eat and a little too much lettuce.
Pineapple Sake Cocktail - Sweet and tangy.
Morocco
Hummus Fries - I don't like hummus, but was surprised by liking these. Crispy and the sauce is great.
Chocolate Baklava - Not as strong of a chocolate flavor as I would have liked.
Moroccan Sangria - Good. Seemed to have more depth than some other sangrias. Not cold enough, though.
France
Boeuf Bourguignon - Just okay. Should have had a deeper flavor.
Creme Brulee - DH really enjoyed it and liked the raspberry flavor.
Sparkling Kir - Really sweet and delicious.
Passion Martini Slush - My favorite drink of the whole festival. I might not have liked it as much if it hadn't been so hot, but it was so perfect for the weather and had a sweet yummy flavor.
Ireland
Irish Sausage and Potatoes - Great Irish comfort food. Could have used a little more gravy.
Cheese and Stout Dip - Good flavor but the dip to bread ratio is ridiculous. You are left with so much dip after the bread is gone.
Chocolate Pudding - Very rich and chocolatey.
Canada
Filet Mignon - After so much hype, not nearly as good as I wanted it to be.
Cheese Soup - ditto
Hawaii
Kalua Pork Slider - Really good with great flavor.
Spam Hash - My hands down favorite. So flavorful. I was thrilled to see the recipe in the cookbook and have already bought Spam
Cheesecake - Just okay. Not a strong fruit flavor.
Pineapple Wine - DH really enjoyed it - he loves pineapple, me not so much.
Mai Tai - Typical Mai Tai.
Craft Beers
Scotch Egg - I would have liked it a lot better not chilled.
Handwich - This had a weird flavor for me, not sure if it was the kind of cheese used but tasted off.
Blonde Ale - Just okay.
Spain
Charcuterie in a Cone - I really liked the tangy vinaigrette, but too many olives.
Paella - Just okay. The rice didn't have much flavor at all.
Seafood Salad - Very good and refreshing.
Wine Flight - I was surprised at how much I didn't care for these wines. Just kind of blah.
Flavors from Fire
Piggy Wings - Good flavor but not spicy at all. Hard to eat - too messy with fingers and difficult to get meat off the bone with a fork.
Corn Beef with Potatoes and Fondue - Really, really flavorful. I almost licked the container
Pancake with Chicken Sausage - Pretty good but needed more onion jam.
Swine Brine - Not nearly as bad as it looks. Actually tastes kind of sweet.
Active Eats
Loaded Mac 'n' Cheese - So, so good. Awesome flavor. I could have eaten at last three of these.
Roasted Salmon - Just okay. Not a lot of flavor and the quinoa was really cold and weird.
Cucumber Hard Sparkling Water - Great and refreshing. Could be dangerous because it doesn't taste alcoholic at all
Chocolate Studio
Liquid Chocolate Truffle - Not as much chocolate flavor as I would have liked but interesting.
Lenotti Recioto - Very sweet, good with the truffle.
We also did two tasting events, the Tequila Lunch and the Sake pairing. They were very, very different. The sake pairing only had 9 people there. The food was absolutely amazing and there was so much of it. They were very generous with the sake, too. The presentation was a little stilted though. The Tequila lunch was kind of the opposite. Forty or so people, and great humorous presentation. Not nearly as much food though, and no drink refills. The steak entree was very good, but the rest of the food was just kind of okay.
I can't wait to go back next year and do everything again!
