Flower and Garden 2021 Food Booths Reviewed (Part 3)

There’s so many good options at the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival when it comes to food, but which is worth your time, money, and calories? We’re reviewing all the food at this festival for 2021. Here’s part 2 of our ultimate taste test, conducted by Ivonne and her team. You can read part 1 and part 2 here.

Sunshine Griddle

• Avocado Toast with Marinated Toybox Tomatoes and Fresh Goat Cheese on Toasted Ciabatta – $5.75. I’m a sucker for avocado toast and I thought this one was delicious. The marinated tomatoes and goat cheese made this better than your average avocado toast. Plus, it’s really really pretty.

• Shrimp and Grits: Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits with Brown Gravy and Sweet Corn Salsa – $7.25. Get this again along with the avocado toast and make it a meal. You get four or five shrimp and good helping of grits. The grits are thick and cheesy and the corn gives it a nice sweetness.

• Corned Beef Brisket Hash with House-Made Potato Barrels, Onions, Peppers, Cheese Curds, and a Soft-Poached Egg with Tabasco Hollandaise – $6.25. This was just ok. There was a lot going on in this dish. Maybe it was a bit too much. Everything was good, but together it is a bit much.

• Fried Cinnamon Roll Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Bacon – $4.25. This wasn’t a dish that sounded too appealing, but it was actually pretty great. Kind of like a churros but filled with cinnamon flavor. The bacon crumbled on top was a fantastic touch that gave it some good salty flavor.

Trowel and Trellis

• Grilled Street Corn on the Cob with Savory Garlic Spread – $5.75. It’s corn. Do you like corn? You’ll like this. (If you really like corn, go with the roasted corn in Harambe at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.)

• Impossible Sausage and Kale Soup – $5.00.  This was just okay. Kale can be a polarizing ingredient, though, so if you love kale, maybe give it a try.

• Boneless Impossible Korean Short Rib with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Danmuji Slaw, and Kimchi Mayonnaise – $6.75. We’re big fans of Impossible brand meat substitutes, but there was just something off about it in this dish. For whatever reason, it just didn’t work with everything else in the dish. This is a pass for us.

• Lavender Pot de Crème with Blueberry Cake, Pink Peppercorn, and Lime Whipped Cream – $5.00. First of all, this is a gorgeous dessert to look at. Blueberry cake with the lime whipped cream is a tasty combination. The portion size for the price is a good one, too.

Jardin de Fiestas

• Tostada de Cochinita: Braised Pork on a Crispy Corn Tortilla with Black Beans Topped with Pickled Onions, Mango-Habanero Relish, and Oregano – $7.00. Very similar to past tostada that have been served at previous festivals, but it looks like the portion is getting smaller. Still, it’s a good blend of flavors and very enjoyable.
  

• Taco Vampiro: Braised Beef on a Corn Tortilla with Crispy Grilled Monterey Jack Cheese and Salsa Ranchera – $7.25. Very tasty but it’s like a taco bite. Even by festival standards this was so small! Given the price of it, this is one to pass.

• Sope de Chorizo: Plant-Based Ground Chorizo on Fried Corn Dough with Black Beans and Avocado Mousse – $6.75.  Ivonne didn’t realize this was plant-based chorizo until she read it in the festival guide later, which tells you how good the chorizo was. The fried corn and avocado mousse were great additions on this tasty dish.

Lotus House

• Papa Cakes: Potato Cakes filled with Shrimp and Water Chestnuts served with House-Made Strawberry Sauce – $7.95.  Probably one of the favorite dishes that our team tried. Potato cakes filled with shrimp and water chestnuts with strawberry sauce seems like it shouldn’t work at all but it’s so good! We’ve never had anything like it before and it is on our list to definitely get it again.

• Bon Bon Chicken Skewer with Sesame and Peanut Sauce – $6.75. The sesame and peanut sauce served on the chicken is delicious and you get a pretty big piece of chicken. This and papa cakes could be a dinner!

• House-Made Crab and Cheese Wontons – $6.95. These are fine–they’re the same wontons were served during the Festival of the Holidays. Odds are good you’ve had similar foods elsewhere, too.

Bauernmarkt

• Potato Pancake with Caramelized Ham, Onions, and Herb Sour Cream – $4.75. Difficult to go wrong with this combo and it’s a good portion. There is also an option that is just the potato pancakes with apple sauce if you want a vegan/vegetarian option.

• Toasted Pretzel Bread Topped with Black Forest Ham and Melted Gruyère Cheese – $5.50. This is almost like a deconstructed ham and cheese. It was really good, but then again, who doesn’t like melty cheese on bread. The addition of the Black Forest ham just adds a little something extra, too.

• Warm Cheese Strudel with Mixed Berries  – $4.50. This pastry is about the size of the desserts you get from the France bakery. This has been served in other years, and there’s a reason why it keeps coming back. The pastry was nice and flaky and the cheese inside was delicious, plus the mixed berries were just perfect.

Cider House

• House-Made Potato and Cheddar Biscuit with Salmon Tartare — $5.50. These are two things that are good on their own but they just don’t work together. The cheddar biscuit tasted great. The salmon was good and fresh. Together? Not a fan.

• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart with Whipped Cream — $4.25. There’s nothing wrong with this dessert, but it just doesn’t stand out as the best of the options at the festival. If you’re in the area, go ahead and get it, especially if you love the blending of dark chocolate and raspberry, but don’t go out of your way for it.

Primavera Kitchen

Oh, Italy. . . why do you break our heart every time?

• Margherita: Rustic Italian Flatbread with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella – $8.50. The picture says it all — you’re paying $8.50 for a couple slices of cheese pizza. It’s a good option if you have picky eaters who want to say they’ve eaten something at the festival, but really? This is a skip for most people.

• Arancini: Sweet Sausage Fried Risotto Balls with Pomodoro Sauce – $12.00. This is by far the tastiest dish at this booth, but the price makes it hard to swallow. Only get if you are really, really eager for some arancini.

• Traditional Sicilian Cannoli: Crisp Pastry Filled with Sweet Ricotta, Chocolate, and Candied Orange – $4.95. Compare this with the new Hazelnut Crunch Cannoli and let us know which you’d prefer. Yeah, we thought so. Skip this one and head to Hollywood Studios if you’re really craving a cannoli.

And that covers the foods from this year’s Flower and Garden Festival. Have you been to the festival this year? What has been your favorite dish?