Welcome to our weekly series, Travel the Fest. We will showcase different countries featured in EPCOT’s Food + Wine Festival and share our picks for what to eat and drink. We hope you enjoy this series, and check back every Monday for the newest post!
Travel the Fest Week Five: “Next Eats” The Chew Lab/Sustainable Chew and Farm Fresh
I am very excited that the Food & Wine Festival is expanding to Future World this year with two new “Next Eats” booths, The Chew Lab and Sustainable Chew. These booths are sponsored by the television show The Chew, which will be filming episodes during Food & Wine. The Fest is better every year by evolving and staying current. Farm Fresh complements the new booths as it was updated from Florida Fresh last year to with regional farm to table food.
“Next Eats” The Chew Lab
The Chew Lab will be an intersection between modern culinary trends and food science, taking the eating experience to a whole new cerebral level. In the past, I have not always been a fan of “cerebral” cooking (remember molecular fusion?), but I am willing to give it a chance. I like new trends that help provide me with inspiration for plant-based recipes and keep cooking interesting. I am hoping to be inspired with new spices and ingredients. I think these “Next Eats” booths are a great fit with Future World.
“Next Eats” Sustainable Chew
Sustainable Chew will feature dishes from the chefs and hosts on The Chew. My favorite thing about the Fest is learning about the food and wine. This booth provides education about sustainably grown food. I am thrilled to hear that herbs and vegetables from The Land Pavilion will be used! In addition, two of the wines offered are exclusive to the fest. I am disappointed the Terra vegan booth is not returning this year, but these new additions are an exciting part of the evolution.
Farm Fresh
This is the booth for regional farm to table food. As a plant-based diner, I was hoping for a vegan dish, but I am sure the offerings will be popular with most people. At least, the “yard bird” and greens is a bit more on the healthy side. I have only recently been introduced to hard cider by the youngest Gal, so it is the perfect time for me to try the new hard cider flight.
The Chew Lab will be very popular with its unique offerings below:
Food
- New York Strip with Parsnip Silk, Balsamic Glaze and Arugula Foam
- Olive Oil-Poached Salmon with Fresh Corn, Bacon, and Pepper Jam
- The Smoking Hibiscus featuring Montelobos Mezcal Joven
- Liquid Nitro Chocolate Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel
Drink
- Festival Chardonnay, Napa Valley
- Festival Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Roble
Sustainable Chew will give you the opportunity to try food grown in The Land. The choices include:
Food:
- Savory Pork Spareribs with Red Wine and Fennel and Cheesy Mascarpone Grits
- Ricotta & Zucchini Ravioli with Tomato Sauce
- Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Figs and Pistachio Brittle
Drink:
- Napa Valley Festival Chardonnay — Festival Exclusive
- Paso Robles Festival Cabernet Sauvignon — Festival Exclusive
- Frozen Chew-tini — Crop Organic Meyer Lemon Vodka, Carrot Mango Juice and Citrus Sour Mix
- Beso Del Sol White Sangria
- Founders Spectra Trifecta (Beer
Farm Fresh from the fields to the table offer the following this year:
Food:
- Loaded mac n’ cheese with Nueske’s® pepper bacon, cheddar cheese, peppers and green onions
- Griddled “yard bird” with braised greens*
Drink:
- Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider
- Wyder’s® Dry Pear Hard Cider
- Two Henrys Elderberry Hard Cider
- ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider
- Florida Orange Groves, Key Limen Wine
- Tom Gore Chardonnay
- Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon
- Hard cider flight:
- Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider
- Wyder’s® Dry Pear Hard Cider
- Two Henrys Elderberry ard Cider
- ACE Hard Pumpkin Cider
