Festival of the Arts 2021 Food Reviewed: Part 1

Festival of the Arts offers some of the most beautiful — and tasty — bites out of any EPCOT festival. Naturally some options are better than others, and some (like some art) just don’t work for every palate. Here’s part 1 of our hits and misses from the 2021 Festival of the Arts.

Deconstructed Dish

(located at Showcase Plaza near Traveler’s Cafe)

See our full review here. 

• Deconstructed Reuben: Rye Popover, Corned Beef, Gryuère Panna Cotta, and Brined Brussels Sprouts with Broken Thousand Island Dressing – $6.75
• Deconstructed BLT: Crispy Pork Belly, Soft-Poached Egg, Brioche, Watercress Espuma, and Tomato Jam – $7.00
• Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake: Whipped New York-Style Cheesecake with Fresh Florida Strawberries and Sugar Cookies – $6.25

Out of the dishes here, our top pick is the Deconstructed BLT — a beautiful looking dish with great flavors. The Deconstructed Reuben is also a good option, if you like the flavors of a reuben. Although the Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake isn’t bad, it also isn’t worth going out of your way to get.

Pop Eats

(located at Showcase Plaza near Disney Traders)

• Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese – $5.00
• Tomato Soup with French Onion and Bacon Grilled Cheese – $5.25
• Shrimp Ceviche with Lime Mint Foam  – $6.00
• Almond Frangipane Cake Layered with Raspberry Jam and Belgian Chocolate – $4.50
• Pop’t Art: Modern-Designed Sugar Cookie with Strawberry Filling – $4.50

Grilled cheese, whether “normal” or “plussed” in a French Onion and Bacon style is delicious, and the tomato soup is quite tasty, but realistically the best part of the tomato soup and grilled cheese combos is the artsy tomato soup “bucket”. They have been known to run out of the bucket during the festival, so check before you buy it if you are truly interested in the souvenir.

The Shrimp Ceviche was incredibly disappointing with mealy shrimp and a lack of flavor. This one is a hard pass.

The Almond Frangipane Cake is a festival staple. Delicious and beautiful, have you actually been to the Festival of the Arts if you’ve never ordered it?

The Pop’t Art may not be quite as beautiful as the cake, but it also is a festival staple and a fun treat.

The Masterpiece Kitchen

(located at Canada Pavilion)

• Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings and Zinfandel Reduction – $9.25
• Salmon and Cream Gâteau with Egg Yolk Cream, Paddlefish Caviar, and Micro-Herbs – $7.00
• Vanilla, Rose Water, and Pistachio Panna Cotta – $8.00

The Wild Mushroom Risotto is a familiar favorite. It’s simple, but tasty and a great option that will appeal to many with its creamy and hearty flavors.

By far, the most impressive dish in flavor at this booth is the Salmon and Cream Gâteau — it is truly food that is art and something that our reviewing team wants to go back and try every time. (They say it is because they’d want to check “consistency”. I guarantee they just want seconds!)

From a visual standpoint, the Rose Panna Cotta is a beautiful item that makes for a gorgeous picture. It also has a lovely floral flavor, and is a good dish to enjoy, even with its high-for-a-dessert price.

L’Art de la Cuisine Française

(located at France Pavilion)

• Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm Creamy Brie in a House-Made Bread Bowl – $8.00
• Croissant à la Truffle Noir d’Hiver: Black Winter Truffle Croissant – $7.75
• Moelleux à la Framboise et aux Chocolats Valrhona: Molten Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with Pure Origin Valrhona Chocolates – $7.75
• Trio de Macarons: Assortment of 3 House-Made Macarons in a Gift Box – $9.50

Overall the flavors at the booth in France are rich and decadent. The warm brie in a bread bowl may not look all that spectacular, but it is a lovely comfort food dish. If you’re a fan of mushrooms, you’ll enjoy the truffle croissant with its mild yet earthy flavors. Our personal favorite was the molten chocolate and raspberry cake, but be warned–this is dark Valrhona chocolate (and so more bitter than sweet). The combination of this dark chocolate with the raspberry is a real treat. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with macrons. They’d make a delightful gift to bring home, but you’ll probably end up snacking on them in the evening instead, if you don’t devour them on the spot.

Stay tuned for more Festival of the Arts food booth reviews, but in the meantime, which of these dishes would be on your must-have list?