From blistering hot wings to a pickle milkshake, here's what's new at EPCOT Food & Wine
Headed to the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival in the next few months?
Journalists and bloggers were invited to preview some of the new food offerings at this year's event, which runs through Nov. 18. They included tongue-blistering wings, a dessert that's almost too beautiful to eat and a milkshake that's so strange you can't not try it.
Kevin Downing, chef of EPCOT Festivals, said this year's festival features more than 25 marketplaces, and about 35% of the dishes being served are new.
As an incentive to visit EPCOT multiple times during the event, new marketplaces will open throughout the festival season.
Downing gave a quick rundown of what's new and delicious.
The best time to visit Disney World: Any time there's a festival at EPCOT
Wing, wing, wing
Courtesy of Muppets Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, the Brew-Wing Lab at the Odyssey has introduced the Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings with a cool cucumber yogurt. The name pretty much describes these flavorful heat bombs. If you're brave enough to try them, be sure to dredge each wing through the yogurt sauce first to mitigate some of the heat.
And if you're really brave, wash the wings down with a Pickle Milkshake. It's a beautiful concoction, but you'll have to judge for yourself how well vanilla ice cream and pickling spice mix together.
The Brew-Wing Lab also has more traditional Garlic-Parmesan and Traditional Buffalo wings for the less brave. Or try the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings for a surprisingly tasty take on two childhood favorites.
Not a carnivore? The Impossible Buffalo Chicken Tenders with celery and ranch and the Buffalo Brussels Sprouts with plant-based blue cheese and plant-based ranch are delicious.
Flavors of America
The Flavors of America marketplace in the American Adventure has a new look this year, Downing said, with a focus on regional favorites.
The Italian Hot Beef Sandwich on a French roll, with shaved beef, spicy Giardiniera and au jus, is a staple of the Midwest, he said.
There's also Cioppino, a seafood stew with saffron-infused tomato-fennel broth served with a crostini.
"It's really traditional, or typical, of the Pacific Northwest," Downing said.
Chilaquiles, corn tortilla chips tossed in salsa verde with Ranchero Chicken, queso fresco, cilantro-lime crema and a soft-poached egg is representative of the American Southwest," he said.
Flavors from Fire
Located in World Discovery, Flavors from Fire has a new grilled dish this year: a Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak Taco served in a corn tortilla with crushed avocado, grilled corn salsa, pickled red onions, queso fresco and cilantro-lime cream.
"It's a nice easy hand-held that our guests can enjoy and walk around with," Downing said.
Flavors from Fire also has dish for non-meat eaters, the Impossible Burger Slider with wasabi cream and spicy Asian slaw.
Canada
The Canadian Filet Mignon has long been a fan favorite, Downing said.
"We're giving it a new look this year," he said. "We've just added a couple of components. We've added a truffle Boursin mashed potato. It still has the mushrooms. It's still the same filet, but we are finishing it this year with a nice Boursin butter that will melt nicely over the top of the steak."
The steak pairs nicely with the Chateau des Charmes Cabernet Sauvignon also available at the Canada marketplace, he said.
Dessert time
Disney chefs have reimagined some of the desserts that have been available in the past.
In the Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina in Morocco, the Pistachio Cake with cinnamon pastry cream and candied walnuts is a gorgeous work of art.
The plant-based guava cake in Shimmering Sips near Port of Entry is topped with non-dairy whipped cream and coconut. Wash it down with a tropical, berry, blood orange or beer mimosa.
Food & Wine Festival details
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival runs through Nov. 18.
Park admission starts at $109 per day. Food and beverages in the festival cost extra.
Eat to the Beat concerts are held Thursday through Monday and feature musical acts such as Joey Fatone & Friends (Aug. 12-21), Hoobastank (Oct. 13-14 and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Nov. 10-11).
For more information, visit disneyworld.disney.go.com.
Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival brings on the heat
