Five MUST-EAT Items at EPCOT’s 2024 Food & Wine Festival!
I love to eat. I also love EPCOT. Marry these two great loves of mine and you’ve got a perfect storm when it comes to an EPCOT festival and all of the glorious food items available for purchase. It’s hard to whittle down my festival must-eat list when everything that’s being offered sounds so good, but seeing as how I’m not independently wealthy as of yet, and stomach space is somewhat limited, whittle it down I must.
I’ve had the great fortune of visiting the Food & Wine Festival twice so far this year, and I thought it might be a good thing to share my list just in case you’re looking for a recommendation or two. Sit back and grab a pencil; here are my top five items to grab at this year‘s EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival!
Number one on this year‘s list is a bowl of cheesy gloriousness that can only be described as salty, creamy and utterly perfect. Our first stop has us heading to CommuniCore Hall for one of Macatizers’ four tricked-out macaroni and cheese offerings. The Cheesesteak Macaroni and Cheese will set you back $6.50, but in my mind, it’s completely worth it. The first thing to hit the palate was the salt crust on the thinly sliced beef, and when paired with the perfectly cheesy and creamy sauce that clung to the noodles, angels sang. No joke. The Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese and I will be together again, and soon. One quick note: the day that I stopped by, the portion size seemed very small. I’ve heard feedback from others who were served twice as much when they came by for the dish, so I’m going to chalk this one up as an anomaly.
Our second dish has us heading out of the back door of CommuniCore Hall and turning left for a stop at Festival Favorites for the Kielbasa and Potato Pierogis ($6). The creamy mashed potato-filled pierogis are delicate and delicious. The Kielbasa, although quite small, pairs beautifully with the pierogis. My hubby and I savored every bite of this dish, but I did find myself feeling that for the price, we should be given at least three pierogis. Maybe next year the dish will return with a larger portion size. Nevertheless, even in its current form, it deserves a spot on your festival must-eat list.
We’re heading around to the back of the World Showcase for our next food offering that is both sweet and savory. The Griddled Cheese ($5) at the Greece Global Marketplace is not to be missed. It’s a perennial favorite of mine; so much so that I’ve even made it at home using EPCOT’s original recipe. A slice of halloumi cheese is griddled and served warm and topped with honey and toasted pistachios. It’s possible that you didn’t realize that you needed savory Greek cheese in your life, but friends, believe me when I tell you: you do.
It’s occurring to me with my fourth suggestion that just about everything I love at this year’s festival involves cheese. There are worse things in life, right? Our fourth item on the list will have us circling back around to the Rosewalk to stop by the brand-new Forest & Field Global Marketplace for their Burrata ($5.50). One look at the presentation of this dish had me thinking back to how gorgeous absolutely every offering is during EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts. The ingredients were so beautifully and artistically placed on the plate that I had to stop and analyze it all before gobbling it down. Fig vinaigrette that features chunks of actual fig? Yes, please. Pomegranate seeds coupled with the apple purée, spiced pecans, and incredibly creamy Burrata, all stacked up to be money very well spent.
Last on our list, and certainly not least, is the Steakhouse Blended Burger ($6.25) from Flavors from Fire. This little burger was last seen at the festival in 2018, and I am so excited that it has made its return! A slider topped with a truffle potato chip? Yep. And warm truffle brie cheese fondue poured on top? Yessss. This burger, although somewhat small, delivers big flavor.
Even with all of the items that I’ve had the chance to try at this year’s festival, I can’t wait to return. There’s so much left to eat, and I certainly need to finish my attempt at completing Emile’s Fromage Montage. A cheese eating challenge is right up my alley, after all.
My next article will have me sharing a list of food items that I recommend you skip at this year‘s festival. Bless them, they were a waste of money. You win some, and you lose some. Sigh.
If you’d like to follow my dear friend Erica and me as we eat our way through the Food and Wine Festival, be sure to watch the video below: