Some old, some new: Our favorite bites from this year's EPCOT Festival of the Arts
Like beauty, art is in the eye of the beholder. If you're lucky enough to attend this year's EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, it's also in the belly of the beholder.
As the newest of the Disney park's festivals – it debuted in 2017 – the Festival of the Arts also is the shortest. It began Jan. 12 and concludes on Feb. 19.
But it packs a lot of color, music, flavor and fun into those five weeks.
The event features nightly Disney on Broadway concerts, daily music in the World Showcase Plaza and plenty of artwork showcasing the magic of the mouse. The food, though, is what always draws me to EPCOT, and Disney chefs dial up the creativity for the Festival of the Arts.
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On the first day of the festival, reporters and bloggers were invited to wander the World Showcase, exploring what's new and what's tried and true about the festival. I tagged along with my colleague Michelle Spitzer and travel writer Megan duBois. After taking a moment to pose inside an EPCOT version of Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware," we ate our way around the world.
The result is a list of 10 must-try dishes from the festival's 16 food kiosks. Five were introduced this year; five are old favorites worth revisiting.
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5 NEW DISHES TO TRY AT THE EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
Neapolitan Dessert Trio | Deco Delights
You know the chocolate, strawberry and vanilla Neapolitan ice cream from the grocery store? This is its grown-up, sophisticated cousin who went to fashion school. It features a gorgeous trio of two-bite desserts: chocolate tart, vanilla bean cheesecake and strawberry mousse.
$5.25. Deco Delights is near Port of Entry.
Rock the Dots White Chocolate and Orange Mousse | Pop Eats!
This vanilla bean chiffon cake looks like a miniature Jackson Pollock work, splattered with red and chocolate squiggles. In a minimalist display, the beige slab with its bright splashes of color sits alone in the upper left corner of a square white plate. The only decoration is a red drawing of Artist Minnie holding up her paint brush. Take a moment to absorb its beauty, then dig in.
$5.25. Pop Eats! is near Port of Entry.
Verjus-roasted Beets | Gourmet Landscape
Disclaimer: I don't usually like beets. I loved this dish of beets, goat cheese, petite lettuce, blackberry gastrique and spiced pecans. The soft, tangy cheese married well with the slightly sweet, slightly crisp texture of the beets.
$5.50. Gourmet Landscape is in Canada.
Moelleux aux Noisettes | L'Art de la Cuisine Francaise
This is chocolate lava cake, EPCOT style. A crisp disc of hazelnut rests atop a molten Valrhona chocolate cake accented with mango-raspberry coulis licking across the plate in tasty flames. I washed this dessert down with an Elderflower Liqueur Cocktail made with St. Germain, sparkling wine and mint. Magnifique!
$9.25 for the cake, $13.25 for the cocktail. L'Art de la Cuisine Francais is in France.
Passion Fruit-filled Mango Cheesecake | Vibrante & Vivido: Encanto Cocina
A perfect mound of cheesecake balanced atop coconut-pineapple cake and crowned with a dragon fruit gelée; while I usually don't mind sharing, I kept this perfect, sweet-but-not-too-sweet dessert all to myself.
$5. Vibrante & Vivido: Encanto Cocina is between France and Morocco.
5 CLASSIC DISHES TO TRY AT THE EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
Wild Mushroom Risotto | Gourmet Landscape
This plant-based dish is decadently rich with truffle shavings and a zinfandel reduction. Pick up extra forks so you can share this one with friends. It's warm, delicious and filling. And you don't want to fill up on a single dish, no matter how good it is.
$9.75. Gourmet Landscape is in Canada.
Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese | Pop Eats!
Few things from childhood are as comforting as a grilled cheese sandwich dunked into a cup of tomato soup. This version features soup served in a retro can. Enjoy the traditional version, or upgrade to the pimento cheese, bacon and fried green tomato grilled cheese.
$5.75 for the traditional, $6.50 for the upgrade. Pop Eats! is near Port of Entry.
Wagyu Bun | Goshiki
This steamed bun filled with American Wagyu Beef and served with green Shiso sauce is like a perfect gift, all wrapped up and ready for you to take a bite. The tender bun gives way to juicy, meaty filling. One might not be enough.
$9.75. Goshiki is in Japan.
Tostada de Langosta | El Artista Hambriento
What do you get when you top a fried corn tortilla with chilled lobster, chipotle aioli, onions, guacamole, shredded cabbage and hot sauce? The bite of the festival, according to Megan. If you try nothing else at the festival, she said, you must get this.
$8. El Artista Hambriento is in Mexico.
Chorizo and Potato Empanada | Vibrante & Vivido: Encanto Cocina
Artfully drizzled with turmeric and annatto aiolis, this savory empanada has some spice, but it's the perfect precursor to all the sweet treats on the Festival of the Arts menu.
$6.75. Vibrante & Vivido: Encanto Cocina is between France and Morocco.
If you go
What: EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
When: Through Feb. 19
Where: EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Orlando
Cost: Single day theme park tickets are $109. Food and beverages at the festival kiosks are an additional cost.
Live in Florida? Through March 15, Florida residents can purchase a two-day Disney Thrills Ticket for $199 plus tax or a three-day ticket for $219 plus tax.
Info: 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: 5 new, 5 classic dishes to try at the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts
