Good morning, my friends!  Are you ready to eat?  I certainly am.  Food & Wine is just days away, and I cannot wait!

In that spirit, let’s reveal the bottom half of the 2016 All in WDW Food & Wine Pre-Festival Top 20!  First, the …

Honorable Mentions

• Gruyère and Cognac Onion Soup – France
• Beef Barbacoa Enchilada – Mexico
• Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce – Greece
• Spicy Hot Dog – Refreshment Cool Post
• Grilled Spicy Edamame – Japan

I’m really intrigued by this small group of “almost made its”.  First, France’s onion soup sounds delicious.

Second, if I hadn’t broken with tradition and dropped my Pre-Festival list from a Top 25 to a Top 20, these dishes would have made my official “menu”!

That’s OK.  If one or more of my Pre-Festival Top 20 falls flat, this collection will be eager to take their place.  And, speaking of them, here are those Top 20!

20. Spicy Hummus Fries – Morocco

Mrs. All in WDW and I love Publix brand red pepper hummus.  Turn it into a “fry”?  OK.  We’ll take it!

19. Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Nueske’s Pepper Bacon – Farm Fresh

Much more highly ranked by you – our loyal Readers’ – we’ll give this dish another shot.

As you might expect, the bacon makes the dish.  The macaroni?  Well, it was simply cheesy macaroni.

18. Grilled Lamb Chop – Australia

Mrs. All in WDW hates it when I slot her precious lamb “lollipop” so low on my list.  For her, it’s a clear Festival “champ”.

Me?  The potato “crunchies” definitely give the item “pop”.  Hey!  I have it on the menu, don’t I?  Doesn’t that count for something?

17. Jamaican Beef Patty – Islands of the Caribbean

In 2012, the then-named Caribbean Islands served a Ropa Vieja.  It was a beautifully-seasoned shredded steak served in a tomato-based sauce.

I know that this patty won’t be the same thing.  The fact that the 2012 offering was so good, however, earns Jamaica’s beef a shot in 2016.

16. Scottish Lamb Stew – Scotland

This one might be a risky choice, for me.  Frankly, the reason that I prefer New Zealand’s Lamb Meatball to Australia’s Grilled Lamb Chop is that I prefer ground lamb.  Lamb stew?  We’ll see.

15. Grilled Beef Skewer – The CHEW Collective

I’m going to wager that this item has a chance to skyrocket up my final Food & Wine rankings.  It is The Chew, after all.

To be honest, I wasn’t all that excited by The Chew’s performance last year.  Let’s see if they rebound.

14. Garlic Shrimp – Japan

I’m not typically a big fan of the manner in which shrimp is served at Epcot’s food “parties” (tails on), but this is a new dish being offered by Japan. I’ll give it a shot.

13. Seared Scallop – Wine & Dine Studio

Like a lot of others I know, I am going to really miss Scotland’s Seared Sea Scallop.  Folks, it was very good.  Wine & Dine Studio?  You have a lot to live up to!

12. Sichuan Spicy Chicken – China

Frankly, in my opinion, China would have been much better off bringing their Mongolian Beef Steamed Bun back to Epcot for 2016’s “bash”.  A former All in WDW “festival champion” (2013), I think it’s needed.

Having said that, I am a fan of Sichuan chicken.  Let’s see if China delivers.

11. Pork Tenderloin with Cannellini Bean Ragoût – Wine & Dine Studio

Wine & Dine Studio hits my menu with their second offering … pork tenderloin.

I’m looking forward to this one.  Pork tenderloin, when done correctly, can be quite tasty.  Add a bean ragoût, and I’ll bite!

There you have it, folks.  Inclusive of EIGHT new items being presented by Epcot in 2016, the bottom half of my “menu” is complete.  Come back tomorrow to see All in WDW’s 2016 Top 10!