I TRIED EVERYTHING NEW AT EPCOT’S FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL—HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN’T MISS
As a food editor, I'm no stranger to culinary events. I've devoured a bucket of warm, gooey Sweet Martha's Cookies at the Minnesota State Fair and dug into the massive, sour cream-topped Maine Baked Potato at The Big E. I've begrudgingly sampled asparagus ice cream at a spring festival and downed Lactaid for an autumn mac and cheese celebration. I've nibbled cow heart from a stick during a Queens food crawl and attended more brew fests than I care to admit in print. There are few places I won't travel for a good bite—including Orlando, Florida, in the middle of hurricane season.
Earlier this month, I woke up on a beautiful morning in New York City and flew to the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. This annual event at Disney World celebrates global food and drinks with more than 30 kiosks throughout Epcot's World Showcase.
Armed with Mickey Mouse ears, sneakers, and ambition, I spent nearly eight hours tasting every new dish at the festival. Don't have that kind of time? I rounded up the best bites so you can eat well and still make it onto Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. Without further ado...
Connections
In addition to the around-the-world booths EPCOT is known for, the festival features specialty items throughout the park that aren't affiliated with a country. EPCOT's quick-service cafe, Connections, was serving a massive French Onion Burger. As our first stop of the day, we felt hungry enough to give it a try. The juicy burger doubles down on savory goodness thanks to a generous pile of jammy, caramelized onions and a healthy sprinkle of nutty Gruyère. It comes with fries that are way better than they need to be.
Must-try item:
- French Onion Burger: gourmet beef blend, caramelized onions, and Gruyère on a toasted brioche bun
Shimmering Sips
This booth is known for its mimosa flight, but be sure not to miss its rotating selection of sweets. This year, there's a Strawberry Champagne Trifle topped with a plant-based cream that, in fact, shimmers. As a lover of all things dairy, I was skeptical about a vegan, custard-like dessert. My doubt vanished after one bite of the silky base, paired with sweet strawberry purée and a candied granola topping that adds the perfect crunch. Go dairy-free? At this booth, I could do it!
Must-try item:
- Plant-Based Strawberry Champagne Trifle (new)
Japan
If you find yourself strolling along World Showcase Lagoon between America and Morocco (as one does) and your stomach starts to growl, stop at the Japan booth. New this year: a hearty cup of rice topped with saucy, satisfying ground beef. Served with tangy homemade pickles and spicy sticks of pink, pickled ginger, there is no shortage of flavor—and it'll fill you right up.
Must-try item:
- Beef Wagyu Don: traditional Japanese rice bowl with American wagyu beef blend over steamed white rice, served with homemade pickles, shredded togarashi pepper, and pickled ginger
Mexico
If you think you're not a flan person—yes, you are. I almost skipped this because I've had plenty of jiggly, egg-based custards and rarely ask for seconds. However, I hadn't yet experienced the flan at this popular quick-service window, located smack dab in the middle of Disney World. Oh, what I was missing! The flan is impossibly smooth and not too sweet, with a caramel sauce that has a delightful burnt-sugar complexity. I not only had a second bite, but also a third and fourth.
Must-try item:
- Flan de Cajeta: creamy Mexican custard with caramel sauce and toasted almonds
Sunshine Seasons
As someone who has worked in restaurant kitchens, I may be biased, but Remy is one of the best characters to come out of Disney•Pixar this century. His namesake milkshake, served at this quick-service, cafeteria-style restaurant, does not disappoint. The strawberry-cheesecake base is sweet and slightly tangy. It's creamy but not too thick, making it wayyy too easy to sip. Thanks, Little Chef!
Must-try item:
- Remy Milkshake: strawberry-cheesecake milkshake topped with a cookie, mini cheesecake, white chocolate Eiffel tower, and a strawberry
Flavors From Fire
Peek behind this booth and you'll see chefs charring various meats on enormous grills. The result? Juicy, tender, smoky grilled beef skewers that are good enough to gnaw on without sauce. It's not needed, but the generous spoonful of zingy chimichurri on the side makes this dish, well, fire.
Must-try item:
- Rodizio-style Grilled Beef Skewer with marble potatoes, charred shallots, roasted baby peppers, and chimichurri
Germany
Head over to the Germany pavilion for a slice of Zwiebelkuchen. (Pronounced: ts-we-bel-coo-ken.) This savory tart (cake?) was the biggest surprise of the day. A layer of jammy caramelized onions lends intense savoriness to the creamy custard, making "just one bite" nearly impossible. If I could go back to EPCOT, I'd beeline to Deutschland for this again.
Must-try item:
- Zwiebelkuchen: German onion cake with caramelized onions, bacon, herbs, and a savory custard
Spain
Basque cheesecake in Spain? Groundbreaking. But truly, this ultra-smooth, burnt-top slice is worth seeking out for its orange sauce alone. The sweet-tangy citrus pairs beautifully with the richness of the cheesecake, and has me wondering if I should become a "fruit for dessert" person.
Must-try item:
- Basque Cheesecake with orange sauce
America
I'm from Connecticut, so lobster on a roll feels just as American to me as a hot dog on a bun. This offering from The States features a combo of lobster and shrimp—and because this is America, the whole thing is smothered in creamy lobster bisque, crème fraîche, with a side of straight-up melted butter. There are CT lobster rolls and Maine lobster rolls, but EPCOT's version may have them both beat.
Must-try item:
- Gulf Coast-style Seafood Roll with warm-water lobster, rock shrimp, lobster bisque, and sherry-crème fraîche on a toasted brioche bun
Milled & Mulled
Churros, I learned, are a must-get at Disney. They're to theme parks what soft pretzels are to other places. But at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, you don't have to settle for just any churro. These warm, mini bites are drizzled with a nutty, buttery caramel sauce and served à la mode. The generous scoop of chopped cinnamon apples, which tastes like apple pie filling, makes this a perfect fall treat.
Must-try item:
- Apple-Cinnamon and Caramel Mini Churros Sundae with vanilla bean gelato
France
L'hexagone was our last stop, and I thought there was no way I had room for more. But I had a job to do—so I sucked it up and ordered the brioche and escargots, s'il vous plaît. Tearing into the bread, a hot, creamy filling spilled out that was totally worth the first-degree burn. It tasted like the sauce part of mac and cheese and reawakened my appetite for carbs despite the late hour.
If you're unsure about escargots, these buttery bad boys will convince you real quick. Wrapped in croissant dough and served with a garlic dip that would make Dracula drop dead, they're a rich, satisfying snack. Oh, and the whole "snail" part really just tastes like a mushroom. Trust!
Must-try items:
- Brioche aux Epices Avec Une Garniture Mornay de Trois Fromages: spiced brioche with a three-cheese mornay filling
- Trio d’Escargots, Garniture a l’ail et au Persil: trio of escargot bites in croissant dough served with a garlic-parsley dip
