So Many Dishes

It feels strange now to go almost a week between posts, but we were out of town. We enjoyed visiting our son and his family in Orlando, and then spent a little time at Disney World. It was an opportunity to attend the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, something we’d never done before.

Begun in 1995, the festival is an opportunity to try different dishes and beverages from around the world. Kiosks are set up at lots of locations, each with a different, but limited menu. It’s all small plates, so you really can try a wide variety of foods.

I’m going to admit up front, we didn’t really try that much. It wasn’t that we weren’t tempted; everything looked and sounded delicious. But it was very warm. I lost count of how many bottles of water we went through. Plus, neither of us eats as much as we used to. And we didn’t stay at the park as long as we had expected. My Achilles tendon decided to act up, and standing in lines started to cause Ken some pain, so we agreed to call it a day in the middle of the afternoon.

We did visit four kiosks, two for food and two for drinks. My favorite was grilled bison, which was served over butternut squash purée and roasted mushrooms. Topped with huckleberry gastrique, I cut little pieces and ate slowly to savor it as long as I could. The paella nigra from the Spainish cuisine kiosk was also delicious: squid ink rice with scallops and shrimp. Supposedly there was octopus in the dish as well, but I couldn’t identify any. It was just a bit spicy, definitely spicier than any other paella I’ve had.

For drinks, we enjoy a Peloponnesian rose from Greece and a craft beer from Mexico. Rose is the perfect warm weather wine, and was as refreshing as the beer. In addition to the food and drinks, we enjoyed a few rides and a performance by the Voices of Liberty.

The previous day, on our way to Disney, we stopped on International Drive in Orlando. This is an area that caters primarily to tourists, with attractions, hotels, and restaurants. While the restaurants are predominantly chains, there is an independent gem that is one of our favorites: Cafe Tu Tu Tango. Also an art gallery that provides work space for artists, their small plate menu is varied and creative. We usually share three plates when we visit for lunch. So we started with the best spinach dip I’ve ever tasted. It was served cold and included feta and roasted red peppers—not an artichoke in sight. We dove into it with the accompanying pita and lavash so quickly that I forgot to take a picture. But I remembered in time to get a shot of our second plate, their take on Mexican street corn, which included lime mayo, cotija cheese, and tajin. It was my introduction to tajin, a chili-lime seasoning mix, and it was delicious.

By the time we finished the corn, Ken and I were already starting to feel full. So we decided to make our third plate a dessert. The chocolate cherry bonbons were served with chocolate mousse, and were out of this world. I’m amazed one of us didn’t lick the plate!

Now we’re home and it’s back to reality. I suspect the next dish you see here will be something a bit more doable.

Happy eating!