Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival may be my favorite festival for food – in some ways I like it even more than the Food and Wine Festival! The fresh flavors and use of fruits and vegetables is delicious. Though I’m not able to attend this year, my good friend Kristin went and sampled a bunch of items at the food booths. She took photos and wrote up descriptions of everything she ate because she’s such a great friend – and now I get to share them all with you!
Arbor at the Gardeners Terrace
Smoked Salmon Stack with Avocados, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Caviar and Focaccia Crostino – $5.50
“The salmon is a nice combination of flavors – and the Arbor gets an extra point because the server was singing showtunes to herself as she prepared it!”
Cider Flight – $9.50
- Original Sin Brewery Black Widow Hard Cider, New York, NY
- Florida Beer Company Caribé Strawberry Rose Hard Cider, Cape Canaveral, FL
- 3 Daughters Brewing Key Lime Apple Hard Cider, St. Petersburg, FL
Flavor Full Kitchen
Citrus-poached Salmon with Ancient Grain Salad, Roasted Vegetables, Citrus Greens (GF) – $6.00
“The salmon is very nice but nothing out of the ordinary.”
From the Garden: Roasted Beets, Cashew Cheese and Micro Herbs with Lemon-oil Dressing (GF) (V) – $4.50
The Citrus Blossom
Tuna Tataki with Spicy Yuzu Glaze, Mango, Avocado and Pappadam Crisp – $6.25
“The tuna was pretty good, but a little salty for my taste. Not the tuna itself I guess, but the pappadam.”
Orange Sunshine Wine Slushy – $6.50
“Orange wine slush is delicious and refreshing!”
[Becky’s note: I love citrus and especially orange, and want to eat everything here! At least I had multiple awesome friends who offered to get me the orange bird sipper available at this booth!]
The Honey Bee-stro
Honey Tandoori Chicken Flatbread with White Cheddar Cheese, Charred Vegetables, Clover Honey Sour Cream and Micro Citrus Greens – $5.50
“It’s a nice combination of savory and sweet. It isn’t spicy as in hot, but has a nice flavor profile in the meat.”
Roasted Cauliflower with Buckwheat Honey Carrot Purée, Wild Rice Pilaf, Asparagus, Honey-blistered Grapes, Sunflower Brittle and Coriander Flowers (GF) (V) – $4.50
Honestly the cauliflower might be my favorite so far. The grapes and honey pieces add such a nice sweetness to the heartiness of the veggies.”Honey-peach Cobbler Freeze with Blueberry Vodka – $10.00
“The drink is basically a liquid pie with alcohol, so it’s great. It’s probably a million calories and I do not regret a single one.”
Local Wildflower Honey-mascarpone Cheesecake with Orange Blossom Honey Ice Cream garnished with Fennel Pollen Meringue Kisses and Petite Lavender Shoots (V) (KA) – $5.00
“I’m really digging the sparkles, and it is delicious. I had to eat it quickly before my ice cream turned into cream.”
Pineapple Promenade
Pineapple Beer Flight – $9.50
- Coastal Empire Beer Co. Coco Piña Gose, Savannah, GA – $4.50
- SweetWater Brewing Company Goin’ Coastal IPA with Pineapple, Atlanta, GA – $4.50
- Maui Brewing Co. Pineapple Mana Wheat, Kihei, HI – $4.50
Jardin de Fiestas
Damiana Flower Margarita: Damiana Flower Liqueur, Blanco Tequila, Agave Nectar and Citrus Juices served on the rocks with a Black Ant Salt Rim — $10.50
“I think it tastes similar to a standard margarita but I like the spicy salt on the rim. It might be just a bit sweeter than a regular margarita.”
Lotus House
Szechuan Spicy Red-braised Beef Shank over Rice — $8.00
“It’s fine but not really spicy at all. And one of the pieces of beef is mostly fat. Overall, a bit of a disappointment.”
The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews
Beer Flight – $9.50
- Central 28 Brewing Company Sunshine Greetings Orange Hibiscus Wheat Ale, DeBary, FL – $4.50
- 3 Daughters Brewing Phantasmas Spicy Double IPA, St. Petersburg, FL – $4.50
- Shipyard Maple Bacon Stout, Clearwater, FL – $4.50
“The orange hibiscus wheat ale is really refreshing on a hot day. The flavors are subtle but they’re there. The IPA is… an IPA. I’m not an IPA fan so I’m not a good person to review this one – it kinda tastes like dirt to me. I got the flight because I wanted the other two beers. But the maple bacon stout is fantastic. I thought about getting a whole one of those but I didn’t feel up to a full stout when it’s so warm and humid. The flavors definitely come through.”
Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue and House-made Pickle – $7.50
“The slider is tasty and filling but a bit messy and a bit dry. I’d definitely recommend adding some barbecue sauce to it.”
Shredded Beef Brisket with Smoked Potato, Chorizo Fondue and Green Tomato Relish – $6.50
“The potato is good but a little hard to eat. I can’t pick it up or it falls apart. The sweet barbecue sauce is really good; the hot sauce is okay but isn’t very hot. A caveat on my spiciness level: I think a “good” amount of heat is when your lips tingle after you eat.”
Taste of Marrakesh
Fried Cauliflower with Capers, Garlic Parsley and Chili Ranch Sauce — $6.00
“By itself has a bit of zip, though the sauce is a little creamier. Overall it had some spice, though more than some people might like. Dad tried one bite and needed a water fountain.”
Florida Fresh
Watermelon Cucumber Slushy (non-alcoholic) – $4.25
“It’s really nice – cool and not too sweet or sugary. It’s like the perfect summer drink.”
Fleur de Lys
I love pretending I’m a food critic, haha!