We’ve just wrapped up our first visit to the inaugural Festival of the Arts in Epcot! And we can promise you one thing — It will NOT be our last.
This celebration of the Arts — with a focus on the disciplines of Culinary, Visual, and Performing Arts — will take place Fridays through Mondays from now until February 20th.
This brand new festival offers guests opportunities to SEE works of art on display at exhibits and galleries featuring works by Disney artists, HEAR live music performed by local high schools and universities as well as Broadway talent, and TASTE dishes and drinks at the Festival’s Food Studios!
We spent opening day at the Festival and we were bowled over by the experience. While DFB was there primarily to explore the food, we also enjoyed the many other examples of artistic talent, ranging from spontaneous displays of sidewalk chalk art, to an incredible musical performance by Disney on Broadway actors and singers Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland.
Ashley Brown Performing During Epcot Festival of the Arts
Walking Chalk Gallery at Epcot Festival of the Arts
But what about the food? So glad you asked! We spent the day sampling our way through the festival’s food offerings at Food Studios as well as other spots around World Showcase.
We must tell you, though — this was some of the best food, and some of the most beautiful dishes, that we have ever seen come out of Disney kitchens. Truly, some of what we tasted on the Promenades rivals what we’ve seen at Disney signature dining spots in terms of presentation and flavor. Everything we tried was good.
So. Much. Yum.
BUT — we have to share one little detail with you: if you visit the Booths, you WILL wait for your food. This is by design. The dishes are multi-dimensional, and guests are meant to take in the smells and sights of what goes into creating these edible masterpieces.
Also — as was the case with the Holidays Around the World booths — these portions were, for the most part, HUGE. Many of the plates could easily have served as meals.
Applying the Finishing Touch at The Artist’s Table Food Studio
Remember to visit our Festival of the Arts Page for pictures of every food item, PLUS prices and Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit info!
But now let’s get to our BEST OF THE FEST picks from the Inaugural Epcot Festival of the Arts!
Best of the Fest!
Here’s what you CAN. NOT. MISS. at Festival of the Arts in Epcot!
Braised Beef Short Rib at Cuisine Classique
Cuisine Classique celebrates the art of braising. Here, we were blown away by the Braised Beef with Parsnip Purée, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes and Aged Balsamic.
Braised Beef Short Rib
The Beef Short Rib was fork tender. No, scratch that. The Beef Short Rib was plastic fork tender. And yet, it maintained a ideal texture and flavor.
But the dish also won our rave reviews for the silky, full flavored Parsnip Puree. It was so rich and a wonderful substitution for potato, the starch that you would sort of expect here. We couldn’t stop eating this one.
Port Wine Poached Pear at Cuisine Classique
I’m a sucker for Poached Pears. So I was pretty psyched to try the Port Wine Poached Pear with Vanilla Panna Cotta and Pistachio Crumbs at Cuisine Classique.
Poached Pear with Vanilla Panna Cotta and Pistachio Crumbs
The tiny Seckel Pear was bursting with flavor from the Port Wine and Warm Spices. And yet, the texture was perfect — soft without being mushy. The Vanilla Panna Cotta was rich and creamy with no discernible sweetness on its own. By itself, I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but it was the perfect foil to the pear. I want to stare at this, and then eat it, again and again.
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie at Decadent Delights
Some of our choices may seem a little less gourmet. That’s because if ever food at an Epcot Festival should win on the criteria of style alone, it’s this one. And the Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie at Decadent Delights takes one of our top spots.
Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie
Right. So, basically, it’s a big ol’ Chocolate Chip Cookie. But it’s yummy and pretty, and we think the kids are gonna love it for those two reasons alone.
You can also find this winner at The Artist’s Table.
Cobb Salad at E=AT²
Looking for a Salad? Then head to E=AT² and try the Cobb Salad with Smoked Duck Breast, Avocado Mousse, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Blue Cheese. This booth features deconstructed dishes, which is why this looks less salad-y than you’d expect.
Cobb Salad at E=AT²
Now, who eats Cobb Salad for the lettuce?? Right. You’re like me, and you eat it for the Bacon, the Egg, the Avocado, and the Blue Cheese. That’s all you get here, without any of those pesky greens to get in the way. #WIN.
Wild Mushroom Risotto at Masterpiece Kitchen
Masterpiece Kitchen utilizes “masterpiece ingredients” in delicious ways. One of our favorite dishes here is the Wild Mushroom Risotto with Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings, and Zinfandel Reduction.
Wild Mushroom Risotto
The creamy Risotto — perfect by the way, with no crunchy bits of underdone rice — was full flavored with a good balance of seasoning. This was another item that we finished completely, despite the fact that we were far from hungry thanks to all the great dishes.
(And yes. That’s a raindrop. See just how much we love you guys?)
Charcuterie Palette at Masterpiece Kitchen
But the star of The Masterpiece Kitchen, without question, is the Charcuterie Palette. The combo of Cured Meats, Nueske’s Smoked Duck Breast, and Cheese blew us away in terms of presentation and ingredients.
Charcuterie Palette
With Artisan Sausages and Smoked Duck Breast, plus large servings of Pate and Cheeses, this was absolutely ample enough to share. Only, I really didn’t want to, especially when it came to the large serving of Blue Cheese dripping with Honey and a bit of Honeycomb.
Our only complaint? As is usually the case with Disney Charcuterie and Cheese Plates, we needed more toast.
Classic Sidecar with Chocolate Twist at Masterpiece Kitchen
We’re not finished at Masterpiece Kitchen quite yet! The spot was also home to our first beverage recommendation — the Classic Sidecar with Chocolate Twist. We are all about reboots of classic beverages around here, and this combo of Brandy and Orange Liqueur took our breath away, but went down easy.
Classic Sidecar with a Chocolate Twist
Normally the cocktail is garnished with an orange twist, but the White Chocolate Curl was an appropriately whimsical touch.
Trio of Savory Croissant Doughnuts at Painter’s Palate
They had us with the words Croissant Doughnuts. But this savory version takes the dish in an entirely new direction.
Here, the Croissant Doughnuts act as sandwich bread for savory fillings: Chicken Mousse with Fresh Herbs and Everything Bagel Seasoning; Whipped Herb Cream Cheese with Sea Salt; and Spicy Tuna with Sriracha Mayonnaise and Sesame Seeds.
Trio of Savory Croissant Doughnuts
I think these could seriously catch on. They’re like bagels, only a gajillion times better.
Miniature Chocolate Art Painting with Chocolate Easel
Epcot takes Art as Food the extra step in a series of actual paintings. But the the medium here is as delicious as it is beautiful: Chocolate.
Mary Blair White Chocolate Art Painting with Chocolate Easel
There are several of these miniature masterpieces to choose from, including the Mary Blair version above. We also spied Mickey Mouse and Figment. A confession: this is one recommendation that we’re making without tasting.
Mickey and Pluto Chocolate Painting
For the first time ever, we truly found something too pretty to eat. Find the mini masterpieces at E=AT² (Figment is available at this stop), Painter’s Palate (where we found the Mary Blair painting), and Masterpiece Kitchen (home of the Mickey painting).
Almond Frangipane Cake Layered with Raspberry Jam and Chocolate at Pop Eats
You wouldn’t think a layer cake would rate a mention. But when your cake looks more like a Piet Mondrian painting than a dessert, you’ve got something special on your hands.
The Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Chocolate from Pop Eats made a big, bold impression on us in terms of both taste and serving size.
Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Chocolate
While you can’t go wrong with the Almond-Raspberry-Chocolate combo, the sheer size of this one made it a great value. I’m super hoping for a Disney video on this one so we can all make it at home.
Cloudem Silver Sparkling Wine at Pop Eats
Often, we don’t spend a lot of time sharing basic photos of wine or beer. Because, after all, wine and beer mostly looks like, well, wine and beer.
Unless you’re talking about Cloudem.
Look, I’ve googled this stuff, and I still can’t get a handle on what it actually is, other than it’s a sparking wine from Spain. And it’s mesmerizing.
Cloudem Silver Sparkling Wine
See that little swirl at the bottom or the glass? This drink actually has silver shimmers in it. And we couldn’t stop standing there, staring at it. So if you saw two girls oohing and ahhing over a glass of this stuff, it was probably us. We defy you not to do the same.
Oh, the taste? It’s fine. Sweet and bubbly, like, say, a Chenin Blanc or a Moscato, with slightly more body. Not my favorite drink in terms of taste. But seriously. It was worth the price just to look at it. (And I still got to drink it with my cake. So there’s that, too.)
Popping Bubbles Cocktail at Pop Eats
Pop Eats definitely had the corner on grown up fun food and drink. Another beverage we can recommend is the Popping Bubbles Cocktail.
To prepare this one, the Cast Member scooped the Popping Bubbles — similar to what we’ve enjoyed in Popping Bubbles Tea — into the square-shaped tulip flute. She then filled the glass with a dry Sparkling Wine.
Popping Bubbles Cocktail
While the CM didn’t know for sure the flavor of the bubbles, they tasted like Strawberry to us. We were offered a straw, but decided to just wing it. This was so much fun that it was easily our favorite drink of the day.
Callebaut Belgian Sipping Chocolate Flight at The Artist’s Table
You know that we’re super big fans of the Ghirardelli Drinking Chocolate during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Well, what would you say if I told you that you can get that same treat — times three — during the Festival of the Arts? We’re talking about the Callebaut Belgian Sipping Chocolate Flight at The Artist’s Table.
Callebaut Belgian Sipping Chocolate Flight
Rich. Thick. Decadent. Basically, take three chocolate bars — White, Milk, and Dark — and melt them down. Then drink them. And you’ll have the gist.
The cups don’t seem that large, but trust me — you’re going to want to share these. So bring a friend. But whatever you do, don’t miss them.
Flank Steak Guarache at El Arista Hambriento
When the Festival debuted, it actually only included seven official booths. But the Mexico Pavilion apparently wanted to get in on the action as well, and so El Arista Hambriento — The Hungry Artist — was born. And we’re so glad, because it is home to one of the best dishes of the Festival, the Flank Steak Guarache.
Huarache: Flank Steak Guarache
The huge serving of Flank Steak sits atop a base of Fried Masa, and is served with Black Beans, Salsa de Chile de Arbol, Frisee Lettuce, Queso Fresco, Red Cabbage, Shredded Carrots, and Chipotle Mayo. There was so much flavor here! And the Arbol Chile Salsa gives the dish a good amount of heat.
We could go on and on! But hopefully, you’ve enjoyed some detail about a few of our favorite dishes from the first ever Epcot Festival of the Arts!
Remember to visit our Festival of the Arts Page for pictures of every food item, PLUS prices and Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit info!
But now, we’d really love to hear from you! Which items would you most like to try at Epcot’s Festival of the Arts? Please let us know with a comment!
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