Oh, so I’m days late on the latest Food & Wine ’14 “newsflash”. You know me. I do Food & Wine my way!
A few days ago, Pam Brandon of the Disney Parks Blog spilled the latest details. By the way, I should express my thanks to Disney. Food & Wine “tid-bits” seem to be coming out earlier this year. Nice way to whet our appetities, Epcot!
As she reports, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – 2014 edition – opens its doors on September 19th. Set to run a record 53 days this year, it charges on through November 10th!
Plan your trips, folks! You won’t be sorry. Why? Lots of food, and lots of time to eat it! Such as …
Roasted Verlasso Salmon with quinoa salad drizzled with arugula chimichurri. Served by the new Patagonia Marketplace, I’m looking forward to trying this piece of fish.
Which leads me to wonder … will there be a Scotland booth this year? They were the “home” of Food & Wine’s salmon in 2013. Scotland made their debut at the festival last year in theme with Disney’s Brave, but will they return? I have already stated my belief that a Scandinavian kiosk will re-appear in support of the “Disney-verse’s” near-hysteria over Frozen.
Another new booth, “Farm Fresh Market replaces last year’s Florida Local Marketplace.” According to Pam, they’ll be serving up a breakfast and dinner combination – “Bacon and Eggs”. It will feature “applewood-smoked, pepper-coated bacon, sweet corn, potatoes, Hollandaise, and pickled jalapeños. Sounds like a really loaded omelet. Yum!
Another option to be offered by this market is the “Yard Bird”. That will be a helping of chicken with braised greens. Not much detail is given, but, if it’s seasoned well and cooked right, it should be tasty.
Perhaps the best news of Pam’s report is the return of Brazil’s Crispy Pork Belly with black beans, onions, avocado, and cilantro! What a relief! Mrs. All in WDW loved that dish in 2013. If it weren’t to make its return, I don’t know what I would have done to sooth her ruffled feathers!
The REALLY crispy pork belly at the 2013 festival.
Last year, Brazil’s companion dish was a somewhat less-than-impressive Seared Scallop. In 2014, the menu has been jacked up several notches with the inclusion of a Tilapia with coconut lime sauce and steamed rice. In addition, you’ll be able to enjoy Brazilian Cheese Bread. Hmm. Can’t wait to see what that is. I’ll pass on their Coconut Candy, but it looks like Brazil is angling to be 2014’s “Best Marketplace in Epcot”!
Finally, Poland returns … with a NEW version of their famous pierogi. How does a Sauerkraut Pierogi sound? I’m a bit apprehensive. As much as I don’t like the marketplaces to be complacent and stagnant (I’m looking at you, Germany!), I’m going to miss Poland’s old pierogi recipe.
Pam mentions a Pork Goulash, but, from the way it reads, it’s a bit unclear if this is an accompaniment for the pierogi or a second offering altogether. For my part, for now, I’ll treat it as its own dish.
So, I said that I do Food & Wine “my way”? What does that mean? Well, if you’ve been around a while, you already know. It’s time to rank the dishes! Too early? Premature? You’re absolutely right! Let’s do it anyway! For me, they go like this …
- Tilapia
- Roasted Verlasso Salmon
- Crispy Pork Belly
- “Yard Bird”
- “Bacon and Eggs”
- Sauerkraut Pierogi
- Pork Goulash
- Brazilian Cheese Bread
What about you? Not knowing any more about the dishes, what looks good to you? Leave a comment here, on Twitter, or on Facebook and let us know!
Oh, and by the way … Food & Wine (Atlanta) starts today! Stay tuned tomorrow on Facebook, Twitter, or here on All in WDW! Pictures are bound to be coming your way!
