by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
April 8, 2023
Oftentimes, when Disney drops a batch of new treats for celebrations and holidays, the vast majority of the offerings tend to be sweet indulgences. The exception to this is the EPCOT festivals, where there are just as many savory options to enjoy as you travel the world. On a recent visit to the 2023 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, we decided that a balance between the two sides might be in order.
It was lunchtime, and our first stop was The Honey Bee-stro Kitchen, located near Port of Entry. This booth is interesting, not only because the foods were delightful, but because the area surrounding the booth is set up as a subtle (yet educational) look at the journey of those industrious little bees, and how honey is processed around the world. Flip-the-flap signs, honey jars, and honey-making gear are also on display.
Since this kitchen is hosted by the National Honey Board, you won’t be shocked to find out that each dish at this outdoor kitchen was made from varying flavors of honey, from the lavender honey in the flatbread to the orange blossom honey in the cheesecake.
At this booth, we chose the “Pollinator Flatbread with Honey Whipped Mascarpone” ($6.25), served with honey caramelized onions, blueberry gastrique, prosciutto, honey whipped goat cheese, arugula, honey vinaigrette and bee pollen. This was one of the most flavorful dishes of the day for us, an unexpected juxtaposition between the tart blueberries and the sweet honey, with the arugula sprouts providing a slightly herby, garden feel to the finished dish. Tiny edible pansy-type flowers added a colorful flair to the flatbread, but didn’t have much flavor to them. The crispy prosciutto brought a welcome, salty element to the bread, and the gastrique was reminiscent of a balsamic reduction, giving a sharp but tasty tang to the many things that were happening on this bread. There were also a decent number of fresh, plump blueberries on the nicely-sized flatbread. The only complaint, and it wasn’t much of one, was that the outer edges of the flatbread were too crunchy to eat. All in all, this was a satisfying lunch option.
We also added the “Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake” ($5.00) to our lunch break at The Honey Bee-Stro. Plated with honey whipped cream, whipped honey, crystalized honey, a dot of honeycomb, dehydrated honey and fennel pollen meringue kisses, this was a delightful dessert. Smooth and creamy, made with orange blossom honey, it featured five different ways to love the use of honey. That being said, you’d expect the dish to be sweet, and it was, but not overwhelmingly so. The small, molded triangle had a fluffy texture rather than a more compact cheesecake. Sadly, the honey whipped cream, while delicious, deflated very quickly in the Florida heat, and was pretty much a puddle by the time we reached a table. Regardless, we scooped it up with a spoon, drizzled it over the rest of the cheesecake, and enjoyed it anyway. The trio of meringue kisses had a bit more flavor than your typical meringue, and once again, a tiny little flower added color, without bringing any additional taste to the dish. And though it was only a small dot, it was quite interesting to try the pinch of honeycomb that was decoratively added to the side of the cake.
Over at The Citrus Blossom at the Odyssey Pavilion, citrus fruits are the primary focus, and they are served up in fun ways. (It’s also where you can get the adorable Orange Bird sipper cup for $15.00, filled with a refreshing and nonalcoholic Orange-Lemon Smoothie.) We’d previously tried the Orange Sesame Tempura Shrimp here, and this time we selected the “Citrus Baked Brie” ($5.25) with preserved lemon marmalade, Limoncello-macerated blueberries and spiced Marcona almonds. We’re big Brie fans in our house, so we were looking forward to trying this sphere of cheesy temptation. It had a distinct citrus tone from the thick lemon marmalade, but the tartness of the blueberries brought a good balance to the lemon in the dish. The lemon notes were front and center, just to the edge of over-shadowing the more delicate Brie, but the combination was a fresh, fun, spring-like entry into the garden festival. The cheese itself was warm without being liquid-y, with an outer coating that was chewy, but not crisp. The almonds were indeed spiced, but also brought a bit of a kick.
If there’s a Garden Rocks concert going on at the America Gardens Theatre, it’s a good bet that we’ll first grab dinner at the Magnolia Terrace Kitchen at the American Adventure Pavilion, where they feature classic bayou foods from the Gulf Coast. On this particular evening, we sampled the “Muffuletta Panini” ($6.00) with ham, salami, mortadella, provolone and swiss with olive salad, and the “Crawfish Pie” ($6.75). We’re actually not sure of all that was in the Crawfish Pie because neither the sandwich boards in front of the kitchen, nor the My Disney Experience app (or the festival passport, for that matter), gave an entrée description. Nonetheless, it was good, if a bit messy to eat. Served in a small bowl, this dish definitely isn’t a grab-and-go-walk item. You absolutely need a knife, spoon and table to eat this one. Maybe a fork, too. Even bench sitting likely won’t work. Tucked underneath a pastry shell that was on the chewy side, there were large and numerous pieces of crawfish that were excellent. The sauce that the crawfish was simmered in had a hint of spice, but it was not over-powering at all.
The Muffuletta was very cheesy in a good way, and the meats offered rich flavors with some smokiness. The olive tapenade comes through strong – but it added a needed dimension to the sandwich, bringing both texture and saltiness to the party. Ray is not usually an olive fan (he avoids them at all times), but he found the olive mixture an enjoyable addition. Overall, the panini-style sandwich was full of flavor, but had two drawbacks: It’s a very small sandwich (don’t let the photo at the queue fool you - it’s more of a half sandwich, really), and the bread texture was uneven, soft in some spots, but overly crunchy in others. While it’s only a $6.00 investment, as long as you are aware that you are getting more of a “sampler” with this selection, it’s an appetizing snack. There’s always that debate as to whether smaller, less expensive dishes are better, because you can try more things, or whether a bigger plate is better when you discover something you like!
Dessert at the Magnolia Terrace Kitchen was a delicious “Bananas Foster Bread Pudding” ($4.75). Served warm, this was a lovely wrap up to the comfort foods theme to this booth. It had a traditional bread pudding texture that was almost cake-like, and the banana component came through loud and clear, a scrumptious ending to the choices at this booth.
The last stop of the day was the Northern Bloom Kitchen in Canada for meals that were a little more savory than sweet. We tried the “Seared Scallops” ($7.50), served with French green beans, butter potatoes, brown butter vinaigrette and Neuske’s applewood-smoked bacon; and the “Beef Tenderloin Tips” ($7.25) drizzled in a mushroom Bordelaise sauce with whipped potatoes with garden vegetables (which, on our evening, was a trio of perfectly cooked baby carrots).
The scallops were the clear winner here, with large, nicely grilled shellfish that had a tasty yet gentle spiciness. A large plate of these would be Canadian heaven! The vinaigrette infused the two kinds of baby potatoes and beans with a mild, buttery flavor, as well as giving added moisture to the scallops.
On the other hand, we were not impressed by the Beef Tenderloin Tips. While there were large pieces of juicy meat served in a thick gravy, they were a bit on the tough side and very chewy. Particularly compared to the tender bison at the Farmers Feast Kitchen, these didn’t really measure up to the quality of the bison dish. The Beef Tips were accompanied by some delicious, light mashed potatoes, though.
The Outdoor Kitchens are open daily for the duration of the Flower & Garden Festival, March 1 through July 5, 2023.
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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