#Epcot International Flower - Garden Festival Outdoor Kitchen Menu Item Photos and Review

Last weekend I was invited to attend a media event during the opening weekend of the 2015 Epcot International Flower Garden Festival at the Walt Disney World Resort. As a foodie, I was pretty excited about this proposition. The festival has slowly been shifting from a straight horticultural event to more of a lifestyle event over the past few years. It s Flower Power concert series has been rebranded as Garden Rocks and is bringing in more popular and mainstream talents, but what I am most impressed with is the addition of Outdoor Kitchens (a la mini food and wine festival ) around the World Showcase promenade highlighting locally grown ingredients.

The gardens and topiaries are a sight to behold but I m going to save them for another post. Today we are going to talk food and drinks and what I thought were some of the hits and misses. The majority of the photographs in this review will be from the actual media event itself. You will notice that the samples are presented on china and in glass. Sprinkled in here and there you will notice a few disposable plates and cups. This is the way they will be served to day guests at the Outdoor Kitchens.

Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash

BEEF BRISKET / POTATOES / PEPPERS / ONIONS / JALAPENO / WHITE CHEDDAR FONDUE

If this dish was not one that was going to be highlighted at the media preview it was surely one that I would have made a bee line for as soon as we were excused to go explore on our own. At last year s Epcot International Food Wine Festival the Bacon Hash was the first thing that I purchased with every visit and I knew that this iteration of Epcot Hash would not disappoint. I may have had three servings of it. Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash is in a tie for #1 on my list this year. You can find this dish at The Smokehouse: Barbecue Brews near The American Adventure.

Also being served at The Smokehouse: Barbecue Brews is a rather tasty and complex craft beer that you can only find at the 2015 Epcot International Flower Garden Festival.

Maple Bacon Stout

SHIPYARD BREWING COMPANY CLEARWATER, FLORIDA

Cachapa con Queso

SWEET CORN PANCAKE / FARMERS CHEESE

The beer was delicious! Not too heavy and one that I will be back again to sample. In the photo above you will see our first food item from a brand new Outdoor Kitchen Botanas Botanico. This happens to be one of the gluten-free options at the festival. I found this dish to be on the dry side and slightly underwhelming.

I can t wait to return to sample the White Corn Arepa with Braised Beef Chayote Slaw from this Outdoor Kitchen. I eat my weight in Blue Iguana Cantina cheese arepas at breakfast time when I cruise Carnival. I m an arepa proponent.

SHRIMP / SCALLOPS / GROUPER / MANGO / AVOCADO

How pretty is this ceviche? If only I had been able to sample it. As someone who has recently been avoiding shellfish I opted to skip a bite of this. It s gluten-free. You can find it at Botanas Botanico between France and Morocco along with this new beverage.

La Tizana

FRUIT JUICE / FRESH FRUIT / SANTA TERESA RHUM ORANGE LIQUEUR

Are you a sweet and fruity drink person? Then this is the beverage for you. It s also one that the kiddos can try if you opt for the version without the orange liqueur.

COCONUT / CAKE / SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

My dining companion grabbed a slice of this on our way out of the park. I was beyond stuffed at that point so I took a picture and decided to save sampling it for another day.

BLONDE ALE / CHANNEL MARKER RED ALE / FEAST OF FLOWERS FARMHOUSE ALE / JAI ALAI

Florida you have some damn fine craft beer! I may be slightly biased residing in the Sunshine State but I do have an affinity for my beloved brews originating from Florida breweries. In this beer flight (left to right) you will find Blonde Ale from Orlando Brewing Company in Orlando, Channel Marker Red Ale from 3 Daughters Brewing in St. Petersburg, Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale from Florida Beer Company in Cape Canaveral, and Jai Alai from Cigar City Brewing in Tampa. You can see my tour of Cigar City Brewery here. The stand outs for me in this sampler were the Farmhouse Ale which had a warm spice note to it and the Jai Alai which is a nice not-too-hoppy introductory IPA with citrus notes.

FLORIDA ORANGE GROVES, SAINT PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

This was an offering that I was very surprised I liked. I am more of a dirty martini drinker and avoid overly sweet drinks when I am out with friends. This sparking key lime wine was more tart than it was sweet and I ended up going back for a second flute of it. Give it a try at the Florida Fresh Outdoor Kitchen.

WATERMELON / PICKLED ONION / ARUGULA / FETA CHEESE / BALSAMIC REDUCTION

I normally say no to watermelon and yes to cheese so it was a no brainer that I picked this dish clean of the salty, white curds and left the lonely watermelon right where it was. This is a must try dish as all of the flavors play nicely with one another. Find it also at Florida Fresh .

PULLED DUCK CONFIT / GARLIC PARSLEY POTATOES

Epcot s Executive Chef Gregg Hannon described this gluten-free dish from Fleur de Lys in France as one of the dishes in contention to become a classic at the Epcot International Flower Garden Festival due to it s popularity.

GRAND MARNIER PEACH RASPBERRY COGNAC / ICED TEA VODKA

You ll feel like a kid who just grabbed a treat from the naughty ice cream truck. Be sure and grab a napkin to wrap around the stick. This one may or may not melt slightly before you devour it. It is also available at Fleur de Lys in France.

CORN TORTILLA / ACHIOTE MARINATED PORK / GRILLED PINEAPPLE / ONION / CILANTRO / SALSA VERDE

Salsa verde and I are like best friends so it s no wonder that this pork taco and I got along so smashingly. Find it at Jardin de Fiestas in Mexico.

SPICY HOT DOG / PINEAPPLE CHUTNEY / SRIRACHA MAYO

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Calling all Pineapple Dole Whip fans. This one is not to be missed. I do not crave ciders. Again with the fruity drinks thing. However, you gotta getcha some of this. Pineapple cider where have you been all my life? This drink was like dole whip and vodka having a baby. No, no like if Pineapple Dole Whip cried tears from the heavens. You might want to just run on over to the Festival Center and pick up a few bottles of this before it sells out, which I highly anticipate happening once word gets out on how tasty it is.

QUINOA VEGETABLE PATTY / ARUGULA PESTO / OVEN DRIED TOMATOES / NAAN BREAD

Another thoughtful gluten-free dish and it s also quite tasty. The Naanwich can be found at Urban Farm Eats adjacent to the Pineapple Promenade and Rose Garden.

TOMATO JUICE / PICKLED GREEN BEAN / VODKA

This twist on a bloody mary will definitely leave a trail of heat in the back of your throat. It was hearty and spicy and something that would be fun to sip as you stroll the World Showcase promenade. It too is available at Urban Farm Eats along with the last dish that I am going to show you today.

TILAPIA / WINTER MELON SLAW / MINT / THE ORIGINAL SAUCE MAN S KICK IT UP RUB

Remember how I told you that Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash was in a tie for #1 on my list of top favorites? Well here is the dish it is in competition with. This dish is destined to become a classic at the Epcot International Flower Garden Festival. Don t read the words ghost pepper and set off the alarm. It s actually not as potent as it sounds as the fish is merely dusted with it. Mint and sweet and tangy slaw create a symphony of flavors. I dare you to eat just one.

HONORABLE MENTION

THE CRONUT

I would be doing a disservice to every one of the readers of this review if I did not give honorable mention to the cronut, or croissant doughnut as it is called in Walt Disney World. The cronut is available year round but no trip to Epcot is complete without one of these crunchy, sweet, pillowy, buttery treats. You can purchase your cronut with or without vanilla soft serve at the Refreshment Port in between Canada and the Rose Garden.

The 22nd Epcot International Flower Garden Festival runs through May 17th, 2015. You can find the complete list of kiosks and menu items here: 2015 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Outdoor Kitchen Food and Wine Menus .

I was invited to this complementary media tasting for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.