If you would like to experience heat in the United States I recommend Orlando, FL in September the week after a hurricane. But it was also cheaper so down to Epcot at Disney World my mother and I went to check out the 2019 Food and Wine Festival! The festival runs from August 29 to November 23 in the Epcot World Showcase.
My mother is vegan and I am vegetarian so we did some research before we went to be sure there would be enough applicable food. We also didn’t consume any alcohol (we were already having a hard enough time staying hydrated) so be sure if you want to drink you do some research before you go!
Below is everything we tried. We split everything so you can just grab two forks or spoons and share. I would recommend setting a budget before you go because there are tons of choices and you could go broke. The prices are included on all the signs below.
A Frugal Chick Tip– We took water with us into the park. I had grabbed a 24 pack of 8 ounce waters from the store and threw a ton of them in the backpack we took. Security didn’t blink. We both had insulated waterproof bottles we filled with ice at the hotel and we just kept adding water all day long. Once we ran out we went to restaurants with fountain drinks and got complimentary cups of ice water which we dumped into the bottles. At $3.50 a bottle we weren’t going to be buying Dasani all day long. This saved us so much money and helped us enjoy the day more by being hydrated in the heat.
In India they had two dishes we tried- the Warm Indian Bread and the Madras Red Curry!
Warm Indian Bread with Pickled Garlic, Mango Salsa and Coriander Pesto Dips– The bread was very good. Mom preferred the spicier dips and I liked the mango salsa. It was kind of what you would expect from this dish although that pesto had some kick!
Madras Red Curry with Roasted Cauliflower, Baby Carrots, Chickpeas and Basmati Rice– This dish also kind of tasted how you would expect. It was not spicy in spite of the word curry in the recipe.
In Africa we got the Spicy Kenyan Vegan Githeri with White Beans, Pigeon Peas, Curry Rice Pilaf, and Kachumbari Slaw– I was expecting to hate this dish because I don’t like spicy food. But it wasn’t spicy at all. It had lots of rich flavors and I thought it was beautifully plated.
The raw vegetables on the top added a nice crunch and the rice added some texture as well. Overall this was a very good dish!
In Germany we got the Apple Strudel with the Vanilla Sauce. While it’s not the prettiest to take pictures of it was pretty good.
The strudel was pretty much what you would expect but the vanilla sauce added a nice additional taste to it without having to add ice cream! And since it was 95 degrees outside I think that was a wise choice. The sauce was rich and I loved the warm apples with cinnamon.
At Hops and Barley (in the Liberty section) we grabbed one of the dishes I was most excited to eat- Freshly Baked Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.
Unless they had butchered it there was no way it wouldn’t be good. It was good and the cream cheese icing melting on the cake was a nice touch. Bring me a giant pan of this and a fork and I will take it down.
My BFF had been to the Food and Wine Festival the week before and raved about the hummus fries. So we grabbed two dishes in Morocco!
Spicy Hummus Fries with Cucumber Tomatoes, Onions, Tzatziki and Chipotle Sauce– These were a highlight for me. I had NOT expected to like them but the hummus was fried and the vegetables on top with the sauces were a perfect mix. I highly recommend this dish!
Chocolate Baklava with Rolled Phyllo Dough with Dark Chocolate Sauce– While I am not crazy about almonds I was able to work my way around the slivers on the outside. Everything inside was perfect- the right mix of sweetness and bitterness of dark chocolate. I would eat again.
In Brazil we grabbed the Brazilian Cheese Bread.
It was my BFF’s recommendation and it was NOT good to us. While the bread was really good the cheese just had too sharp of a bite to it for either of us. But I am sure others will really enjoy it!
This probably won’t shock anyone but this was my favorite booth. I have wanted to try the Impossible Burger for a while and this was the chance!
The Impossible Burger Slider served with Wasabi Cream and Spicy Asian Slaw on a Sesame Seed Bun– The burger was AMAZING (granted I haven’t had real meat in over three years so my idea of a great burger might be different). The taste and texture were very close to real meat and the flavor was great. Even the wasabi wasn’t overwhelming. My only complaint was the bun wasn’t as soft as I would like.
The Impossible Cottage Pie with Carrots, Mushrooms, and Peas topped with Mashed Cauliflower, White Beans and Mozzarella– This was one of my favorite dishes. Somehow that cauliflower tasted JUST like mashed potatoes (probably butter or cream but still.) It was really, really good.
By the afternoon the heat was really getting to us so I wanted some ice cream. We stopped at the Shimmering Sips kiosk to try two more dishes!
Shimmering Strawberry Soft-serve in a Waffle Cone– This was such a good treat. I had to eat it faster than I would have liked. But it’s been a long time since I had ice cream with sprinkles in a proper waffle cone. And the sprinkles on the cone were held on with some sort of icing and it was AMAZING.
Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae made with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk, Fresh Berries and Chocolate Almond Steusel– My mom ate this one. She loves to eat ice cream with stuff in it and this was chock full of stuff. The “ice cream” was basically frozen banana and everything else she said was delicious.
Neither of us had any problem finishing these treats off!
Other Things To Get You Ready for Food and Wine Festival at Epcot
Stroller Parking. Everywhere. Strollers. Everywhere. So Be Ready.
Don’t forget to meet the characters. Like Alice in the U.K.
And Mary Poppins in the UK. Who made me stand all straight and proper.
Because you are frugal you need to use the right travel agent to find you all the best deals. Check out A Frugal Chick’s Favorite- Destinations in Florida.
