Morning, folks!  Welcome to the weekend!  In fact, it’s the 2nd weekend of “Food & Art”!

You know, I mentioned Food & Wine ’17 yesterday (less than 160 days away!), and it reminded me that I still owe you one last look at “Food” & Art!

And, works of art, it all was!  For those of you that didn’t catch my “live” reports, Epcot “nailed it” when it came to cuisine.

Officially dubbed as Epcot’s inaugural Festival of the Arts, Mrs. All in WDW and I got a chance to attend the kick-off a week ago yesterday.

What did we have in mind?  Well, we were there to dine!  In order of what we thought we’d like, here was our “hit list” – our menu:

1. Braised Short Rib – Cuisine Classique
2. Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo – The Artist’s Table
3. BLT with Crispy Pork Belly – E = AT^2
4. Choriqueso (chorizo topped with cheese) Taco – El Arista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)
5. Classic Reuben with Shredded Corned Beef – E = AT^2
6. Flank Steak Guarache (fried dough with toppings) – El Arista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)
7. Roasted Pork Roulade – The Artist’s Table
8. Seared Red Snapper – Cuisine Classique
9. Wild Mushroom Risotto – The Masterpiece Kitchen
10. Homemade Falafel – Tangierine Café

Great sounding “grub”, eh?  How was it?  Let’s see …

1). Braised Short Rib – Cuisine Classique

The braised short rib delivered, as hoped.  Sure, I’m biased, but it was ‘fork tender’ and fantastic!

The parsnip purée was a big bonus.  It was delicious and silky smooth.  Great dish, my friends.  Get it!

2). Roasted Pork Roulade – The Artist’s Table

A very intricately assembled creation – the Cast Member paid an incredible amount of attention to detail – this was a very generous serving of food.

The pork tasted great.  The potatoes were perfect.  Only the carrots were a bit subpar.  Like the braised beef, this one is another “must do”.

3). Seared Red Snapper – Cuisine Classique

This particular Food Studio rocked it out, everyone.

A large portion, their fish was perfectly prepared.  Better yet, the item’s flavors melded into a delicious symphony.  In short, if you’re a seafood fan, you should try this dish!

Also, this was one of only a few booths (ever!) where I intentionally asked to talk to the chef.  I complimented their cuisine, of course.  Thumbs up!

4). Flank Steak Guarache (fried dough with toppings) – El Arista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)

Looking at it, you wouldn’t think that this dish was all that impressive.  Yet, the steak was perfect.  In fact, like Classique’s fish, the ingredients combined in an orchestra of outstanding flavors.

Honestly, this dish reminded me a lot of a steak taco salad.  I can’t rave enough about the “fried dough shell”.

5). Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo – The Artist’s Table

When all was said and done, I sampled this morsel twice.  The first time around, it was served ice cold.

That was quite disappointing because I could tell, otherwise, that the scallop was cooked perfectly.  Fortunately, as I expected, the second helping was perfect!

6). BLT with Crispy Pork Belly – E = AT^2

The E = AT^2 Food Studio specialized in, what I can only describe as, deconstructed food.  Their pork belly was quite good!  Better than Food & Wine’s, I’ll tell you that.

The pork was very tender … not too fatty at all.  Its saltiness melded well with the sous-vide egg.

7). Classic Reuben with Shredded Corned Beef – E = AT^2

Tender, shredded corned beef.  Delicious Thousand Island taste.

The so-called “Rye Curl” was quite intriguing.  It reminded me of a rye toast “onion” ring.  It may be #7 on my list, but it’s still worth trying!

8). Choriqueso (chorizo topped with cheese) Taco – El Arista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)

More cheese than chorizo, I’d say.  Also, as I’ve said before, I’m not a big fan of warm corn tortillas.

I’d label this one as “worth a try” but not a “must do”.  Much bigger portion (two tacos) than Food & Wine (one taco).  That’s a big plus!

9). Chilled Shrimp with Quinoa – Refreshment Cool Post

I hadn’t planned on trying this, but I’m glad I did.  The shrimp was very fresh.  The red pepper coulis delivered a nicely spicy experience.  Good dish.

10). Wild Mushroom Risotto – The Masterpiece Kitchen

At $9, I felt it was a bit overpriced. Don’t get me wrong. Great risotto. For me, it just had too many mushrooms.

So, when it comes down to food recommendations, here’s my Final list, fans.  If you’re lucky enough to attend this inaugural “party”, you’re not going to try everything, I’d bet.

Therefore, in order, I’d suggest you sample …

1. Braised Short Rib – Cuisine Classique
2. Roasted Pork Roulade – The Artist’s Table
3. Seared Red Snapper – Cuisine Classique
4. Flank Steak Guarache (fried dough with toppings) – El Arista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)
5. Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo – The Artist’s Table
6. BLT with Crispy Pork Belly – E = AT^2
7. Classic Reuben with Shredded Corned Beef – E = AT^2
8. Choriqueso (chorizo topped with cheese) Taco – El Arista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)
9. Chilled Shrimp with Quinoa – Refreshment Cool Post
10. Wild Mushroom Risotto – The Masterpiece Kitchen