5 Best first bites at 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
While summer might be ending, Disney Parks welcomes its annual fall feast. With a bounty of food options on the menu, these are the five best first bites at the 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Every year, the Disney chefs look to blend innovative cuisine with festival favorites. This year is no exception. Guest favorite marketplaces, like Canada and Australia, have that filet mignon and lamb chop. Even newer favorites like the Brew-Wing Lab and The Alps have the some recent additions that satisfy every time.
Given that the annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival runs into November, there are plenty of opportunities to revisit those tried and true food options. When the festival opens, everyone is clamoring to get that first taste of the new dishes. Luckily, some of the dishes could become festival favorites.
Must try new dishes at 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
At the 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, there are many new food and beverage offerings across the menu. New marketplaces include Macatizers, Forest and Field, Mulled and Mulled, and Bramblewood Bites. Festival Favorites is a listed as a new marketplace, located in CommuniCore Hall, but there was a version of this concept a few years back.
The new marketplaces have several delicious and memorable offerings that should top the must eat list for this year’s Disney food festival. Covering both sweet and savory, it is best to plan at least one stop at a new location.
Bramblewood Bites
As the grill fills the air with its smoky, enticing aroma, those earthy notes make people’s stomach grumble. The Grilled Cider-brined Pork Tenderloin is a complex dish that has guests placing a second order.
The pork is well-grilled and the seasoning is subtle. With the crunchy fennel and apple slaw, the contrasting textures make for a perfect bite. Although the apple cider gastrique is a touch sweet, it does not overpower the other ingredients.
Also, for guests who like to pair food and beverages, the Spiced Apple Old Fashioned Inspired Cocktail is a lovely choice. Made with rum, versus a whisky or bourbon, there is a sweetness to the cocktail. The warm spices help to keep the beverage from being cloying.
Forest & Field
While many people will order the Pumpkin Mascarpone Ravioli, which is part of Emile’s Fromage Montage Menu, it is the Burrata dish that is a delightful appetizer. The creamy burrata is paired with fig, fall fruit, apple puree and spiced pecans.
Although many people enjoy a burrata with a crostini, the pecans bring that crunch to each bite. The fruit offers a sweetness with a touch of jamminess. This little plate is a nice dish to begin the food feast.
Mexico
Always a popular stop, Mexico has two new dishes and cocktails on the menu. Pairing the Tostada de Camarones with the Poblano Margarita is the must order. Subtly spicy, the Poblano Margarita cuts through the richness of the Tostada.
The shrimp in the tostada is light, crunchy. While the chipotle aioli and chili-lime powder add depth, the dish hits all the flavors. This dish is one that everyone will want to order time and again.
Spain
The Spain marketplace has evolved over the years and the Paella Negra is a dish that might surprise Disney guests. The star of this dish is not the rice or the shrimp. It is the octopus.
During our visit, the octopus was perfectly cooked, which is a feat for any festival. Also, consider mixing the garlic aioli into the rice to add some moisture to the dish.
Swirled Showcase
Ending the day on a sweet note is always a good idea. Instead of another ice cream, the Liquid Nitrogen Frozen Sweet Potato Mousse is the must try dessert. The flash freeze keeps the luscious texture of the mousse intact.
More importantly, this dessert has a subtle sweetness. It satisfies that craving without feeling like a sugar bomb. For anyone who craves a fall dessert but is over pumpkin, this dish is the solution.
These five best first bites at 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival are just a small sampling of the robust food menu. With so many options, it might be wise to visit, and visit often, to enjoy a taste of everything.
The 2024 Epcot Food and Wine Festival runs now through November 23, 2024. The festival is included with theme park admission. Food and beverage purchases are separate.