by Beth Keating
News/Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 3, 2021
Without a doubt, EPCOT has continued to step up their game each year with the food offerings provided at the festival kitchens. When Disney released this year’s menus for the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival a few days ago, my family was amazed (and intrigued) by some of the dishes. It’s a far cry from the first festivals we attended more than two decades ago in the late 90s. (The Flower and Garden festival actually started in 1994.) This year’s festival boasts more than 20 exclusive food kitchens and some additional specialty kiosks, including two new kitchens, with a focus on flavors from the garden.
With four festivals a year now, you’d think that the food booths would have the likelihood of getting “stale” with repeats. And while some of the booths do seem to have reruns of previous offerings, Disney has done a pretty good job overall of bringing back fan favorites, while sprinkling in new dishes from its culinary creators.
The second thing that we noticed about this spring’s offerings was the imaginative presentation of many of the dishes. This isn’t just a scoop of pasta on a plate, the way we remember some of the dishes from very early festivals. In fact, in perusing this year’s menus, we could argue that a few of the offerings are even more artistic than the ones served at the recently completed Festival of the Arts.
A case in point? We have millennials in our family, so of course the avocado toast drew a lot of attention. You can find it at one of the new kitchens this year. Look for it at the Sunshine Griddle Outdoor Kitchen in Future World East. That brunch-centric booth has two dishes we are salivating to try: the “Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Bacon” and the “Avocado Toast with Marinated Toybox Tomatoes and Fresh Goat Cheese on Toasted Ciabatta,” both new items at a brand new kitchen.
But wait – take a closer look at that avocado toast, and tell me that isn’t an Instagram-worthy endeavor. Tell me you wouldn’t stand in line for that baby! While I’m hopeful it will be as yummy as I think it will, I’m also amazed at how beautiful it is. (And I’ve never thought of avocado toast as an especially pretty dish... just sayin’.)
There’s also a new, non-alcoholic Froot Loops Shake at the Sunshine Griddle booth, so maybe not everything that is pretty will also hit the mark in the flavor parade. We’ll give it a chance, though the youngest adult in the family has started a recent love affair with Joffrey’s Coffee brand, so we’re more likely to try the new Joffrey’s Coffee Cold Brew Cocktail with Milk, Kahlúa Rum and Coffee Liqueur, and Vanilla Vodka, available at the kitchen as well.
The second kitchen that is new to this festival is the “Farmer’s Feast,” which promises a “rotating seasonal menu.” Located inside World Showplace, this kitchen will be offering changing menus based on the freshest local ingredients throughout the four-month run of the festival (the longest Flower & Garden festival to date.)
Menu One at the Farmer’s Feast for the kick-off of the festival includes Spring Onion Soup with Crispy Shallots and Micro Chive; Duck Confit with Carrot Purée and Roasted Root Vegetables, Rainbow Chard, and Duck Jus; and “Off the ‘Beet’en Path”: Profiteroles with Red Beet Mousse, Golden Beet Pastry Cream, Whipped Goat Cheese Cream, and Candied Walnuts.
Also new to Flower & Garden, but carrying over from other EPCOT festivals is the Festival Favorites Kitchen, which will dish up fan faves from prior festivals. This year, they’ll be bringing back the Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue, and House-made Pickle, among other selections.
And while it isn’t new to the Flower & Garden festival, the Cider House will be returning after a brief hiatus to the festival. They’ll once again be serving House-made Potato and Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare; as well as a Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart with Whipped Cream. Their beverage offerings will include a variety of new ciders, cider flights, and lagers, highlighting the interesting sounding 3 Daughters Brewing Pink Lemonade Hard Cider from St. Petersburg, Florida, and Bold Rock Watermelon Hard Cider from Virginia.
See what I mean? Much more creative than the simple rigatoni dish I remember from one of the first EPCOT festivals we attended. You can keep track of where to find each tasty dish, and which ones you want to go back and try again, by picking up one of the festival guides, available at the entrance to the park and at nearly every food kitchen along the way.
The 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival begins today (March 3) and runs through July 5, 2021.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
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