What’s this!? A mid-festival Best of the Fest!? Didn’t we already do a Best of the Fest for the 2021 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival?!
Yep, we sure did! The festival started back in July with 23 of the 32 food booths opening. Now, another seven booths have opened and we’ve snacked our way through them all. So, of course, we’re bringing you a few more Best of the Fest picks!
You have through November 20th when the festival ends to try all of our original Best of the Fest picks and these new ones. Now that we’ve tried every booth except for the still-closed Brazil and Belgium booths, we’re putting our festival expertise to use and bringing you MORE picks in the 2021 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival BEST of the FEST! And, don’t forget to check back when we update this post with any picks from the final two booths when they open on October 1st!Â
Click here to see ALL of the menus and food pics for this year’s EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!
New Bests!
We tried these items for the first time EVER at this year’s festival and they wowed us enough to make our list of bests!
Truffle Macaroni and Cheese at Mac & Eats
First up, the Mac & Eats booth had some all-around DELICIOUS options but we were especially wowed by the Truffle Macaroni and Cheese with Herbed Panko for $5.75. We had a feeling this eat was going to be a winner as soon as we saw it. Just LOOK at that presentation!
The mac and cheese was so creamy and full of cheesy goodness! The truffles gave the dish a more complex flavor and the herbed panko gave it a much-needed crunch. The way the flavors came together made for a complex and delicious bite. We’ll DEF be back to snack on this dish again!
Want to see more of this booth? Click here!
Baked Lobster Dip at Lobster LandingÂ
Our other new best was the Baked Lobster Dip with Old Bay Chips for $5.50 at Lobster Landing. This one even wowed our seafood-averse reporter! Chips and dip might seem a little lackluster compared to other festival eats, but don’t be fooled.
The dip is warm and creamy with a lot of shredded lobster meat in it. It was like warm lobster queso, and well, we do love queso! The chips were also tasty and the Old Bay seasoning made them super flavorful. Ugh…our mouths are watering just thinking about it.
To see our full review of Lobster Landing, click here!
Returning Bests!
These items are BACK and as TASTY as ever, landing their spots on our Best of the Fest list!
Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Alpine Ham at The Alps
This dish has been seen on this list for many, many years now. After all, you know our feelings about almost-liquid cheese. That’s right, we’re talking about the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Alpine Ham, Baby Potatoes, Cornichons, and Baguette for $5.50!
First of all, you’re looking at beautiful melty swiss cheese. We’re pretty much sold on that alone. But this dish is also a HEARTY serving with plenty of cheese, potatoes, and ham. Everything is cooked well and the flavors of the swiss go SO well with the ham and even the pickles! There’s a reason we keep getting this dish and you should probably give it a try if you love cheese.
Click here to see our FULL REVIEW of The Alps!
Frozen Rosé at The Alps
The Alps also brought us the returning Frozen Rosé for $9 which comes served in this very cute glass. Heads up: This is a GREAT refreshment on a hot summer (or fall!) day.
If you’re a rosé fan, this sip will likely please. It’s a delicate balance of sweetness and dryness that helps to wash down that melty raclette cheese perfectly. Wine drinkers should make a stop to give this sip a try!
Want to see more of the eats at this booth? Click here!
Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake at Ireland
The Ireland booth brought us a dessert entry! The Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard for $4.25Â might not be quite as good as the Carrot Cake over at Hops & Barley, but it was still good enough to land a spot as one of our BESTS!
We could probably eat ten of these in one sitting. It’s super-rich and chocolatey and reminded us of a great bread pudding. The Irish cream liqueur custard was a great addition and gave this dish a nice cinnamony flavor with a hint of booze. Plus, it’s SHAREABLE with how rich it is!
To see our review of Ireland, click here!
Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin at Kenya
And our final addition to the 2021 Food and Wine Best of the Fest list is the Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potato and Corn Mealie Pap and Kachumbari Slaw for $6.
This hearty dish has a bunch of components that are lovely on their own, but it REALLY sings when you get a bite that has the beef, the mealie pap, and the slaw all together. The tenderloin was very flavorful and we loved the coffee rub, but the real stars were the sides! We could probably eat a WHOLE PLATE of that Sweet Potato & Corn Mealie Pap… .
Click here for our Kenya review!
BEST Newly-Opened Booth of the Fest
Alright, now that we’ve gone through ALL of the new worthy items, it’s time to take things a step further. We’re giving an award for the BEST Newly-Opened Booth of the Fest. Add this to your list of must-visits… .
Mac & Eats
We’re giving this one to Mac & Eats! We love a booth that’s themed around macaroni and cheese and this booth is doing it SO WELL. Select from Traditional, Cowboy, Truffle, or Plant-Based; whatever you pick, you’re in for a cheesy and delicious bite!
Again, our favorite is that Truffle Mac, but the others were wow-worthy as well! Any macaroni and cheese fan will have a field day at this booth, and we definitely think it’s earned a spot as one of the best booths of the fest this year.
Want to see the full review of this booth? Click here!
Remember, you can head over to our FIRST Best of the Fest to check out more best eats, more best booths, our best pick for kids, the best plant-based item of the fest, and more!
To see our first Best of the Fest, click here!
We do love an EPCOT festival and EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is one of the best. This fest is sticking around for a few more months so we’ll have plenty of chances to grab seconds (and thirds!) of all our favorites — plus even MORE new dishes when the remaining booths open on October 1st! Make sure to check back here for any NEW bests when they do!
Click here to see REVIEWS of ALL of the 2021 Food and Wine Festival Eats!
IT'S WINE & DINE TIME!
Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.
If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!
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Which of these bests do YOU want to try? Tell us in the comments!Â
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