by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 9, 2023
The Magic Kingdom was closing early the other day when we pulled into the ferry dock, not realizing that it was a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party night, so our plan to eat dinner in the Magic Kingdom was foiled. Instead, we hopped the monorail over to EPCOT to try out a few more dishes that we’d missed on previous trips to the 2023 Food & Wine Festival. And for the most part, we were happy with our dining choice, even though that wasn’t the original plan for the night.
It was a rare, on-the-less-humid-side evening at EPCOT, and the crowds were pretty low, making for an enjoyable stroll around World Showcase. But we ended up at the front of the park for our meal, stopping at Coastal Eats and Flavors From Fire for their dishes.
At Coastal Eats, we opted for the Oysters Rockefeller ($7.50), a trio of oysters that was so good that we said that if they offered an entrée of a dozen of those, we’d be set for the night. It was a lovely mix of spinach and plump oysters, topped with a smidge of parmesan cheese and crispy bread crumbs. The oysters were a well-chosen size, neither the minced kind you sometimes find in heavily breaded versions, or so large that it made chewing unpleasant. Honestly, coming from Long Island where seafood is plentiful but pricey, this dish sort of seemed like a bargain in a place that doesn’t offer many bargains for hungry guests. The spices were a nice blend, with just a bit of a smoky taste.
Across the sidewalk, at Flavors From Fire, we selected two of their dishes. We went with tacos and corned beef. As a plus at this “global marketplace,” you can also see the grilling happening alongside the building. Grill to plate in just a few moments!
At this booth, it was a 50/50 split. I’m not sure what we were actually expecting with the Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak Taco ($6.50), but this choice wasn’t it. Served with avocado and pickled red onions, there was also a sprinkling of grilled corn salsa adding some crunch to the taco. The Queso Fresco and cilantro-lime cream on the top added a bit of tang to the overall dish, but the soft tortilla was limp, without much flavor. It was merely a utilitarian vehicle to get the rest of the fillings into your mouth. As for the steak, it was cold – not sure if it was supposed to be, but since we were literally the last customers of the night, it could be either a culinary choice, or just luck-of-the-draw. (When you are bumping up against closing, you take your chances sometimes!)
The steak wasn’t steakhouse quality, for sure, but it was also not a bad quality for a food booth - not overly chewy, but still with good seasoning. While there was some verdant coloring to the dish from the crushed avocado, and there was some cilantro in the lime sauce drizzled over the top, the dish was a lot less “green” than we were expecting from something billed as a “chimichurri” taco.
This was an unusual version of a taco, and it had a lot of flavors going on. Perhaps if the tortilla itself had been better, we would have rated this plate a bit higher. As it is, though, we’re not sure we would get this one again.
On the other hand, we thoroughly enjoyed the Smoked Corned Beef with House-made Potato Chips ($6.50). Topped with cheese curds, pickled onions and a beer-cheese fondue, this was a wonderful flavor combination, and one that we will definitely come back for. In fact, a bigger plate of this combination would make a terrific entrée or appetizer somewhere. (Hey, Disney culinary team, write that down for the future!)
For festival food, the meat was really decent quality, shredded to make it easier to eat with the obligatory plastic utensils, but it also gave the dish a kind of “nachos” feel to it. Corned beef can be on the salty side, but this preparation wasn’t salty in the least. The kettle chips were delicious, and also maintained their crunchiness, despite having layers of meat and cheese over the top. We found the cheese sauce a bit surprising, as we were expecting a bolder tone since it was supposed to be a beer cheese combo. Our first thought was that the cheese sauce was a little bland, but we realized that was a good thing, because it provided a more neutral canvas for the corned beef to shine. (And, being Irish, we have a long line of relatives who know that beer and corned beef go well together… so they tell us!)
If you want to try any of these dishes for yourself, you still have some time to get there. These booths are Food & Wine Festival locations that will be available through November 18, 2023.
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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.
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