Disney For Grown Ups - Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival

It's my turn to write the blog this week!  You know what that means??

That's right, it will show up on TUESDAY, not Monday. 

I'm pretty sure this is what Melissa looks like every time it's my turn to submit a post. 

via GIPHY

I do my best, but this hat is my reality.

Ahem.

Moving on.

In keeping with the GREEN theme for March, today we're going to talk about 

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival!

If you've never been, this is an amazing time of year to go.  Disney's horticulture department is outstanding, and their creations are beautiful!

I love the floating flower pots on the lake:

 

Beautiful flowers:

 

There's even a wonderful buttlerfly exhibit.  You can walk through the tent and get up close and personal with the butterflies!

Of course, my favorite part is the food!  So far this year, we have not made it around to all the different food booths, but we've loved everything we've tried so far!


In France, we sampled the GLUTEN FREE Macaron au Chocolat en Sucette (large chocolate macaron lollipop) and the Canard Confit Aux Gnocchi a la Parisienne (braised duck confit with Parisian gnocchi).  I am not really a huge fan of the French booth at the Food and Wine Festival, but I really enjoyed both of these options!!  The duck was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was amazing.  The macaron was delicate and sweet.

 At the Florida Fresh Outdoor Kitchen, we tried the Spicy Blackened Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits with Brown Gravy and Local Sweet Corn Relish and the Key Lime Tart with Toasted Meringue. The shrimp was cooked well, and the spice was just right.  I confess that even if we had not stopped anywhere else for food, we would have come just for the key lime tart.  I remember having it last year, and it was my one MUST item at the festival!

I wasn't really that excited about trying Japan's Outdoor Kitchen, but after hearing so many people rave about the fruit sushi, we decided to give it a try.  It was okay.  Not my favorite, and not something I'll get again, but I did enjoy it.  

 I loved the noodles!  We spent some time in Japan early in our marriage, and this dish really reminded me of something we would have gotten at a local restaurant. 

As it was getting late, we only tried one more booth that day - The Smokehouse Barbecue and Brews.

While I love the international foods, I am always pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy the American booth!

Beef Brisket Burnt Ends Hash with White Cheddar Fondue and Pickled Jalapeños - this one is a little spicy, but I love it!  The cheddar fondue tempers the spice a little bit, and the beef is well flavored.

Beef Brisket Burnt Ends and Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Garlic Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue and House-made Pickle - Ryan loved this one.  It was too much bread for me, but I did enjoy the house-made pickle!

 Pulled Pig Slider with Coleslaw - this was okay to me.  Again, more bread than I like, but it was flavored well!

 Warm Chocolate Cake with Bourbon-Salted Caramel Sauce and Spiced Pecans (V) - Warning: DO NOT count the calories in this dessert!!!  It was absolutely delicious, but so rich neither of us could finish it!

 There is so much more to enjoy about the Flower and Garden Festival!  They have cooking classes, wine tastings, and more!  And what would a festival be without music???  Disney brings in artists from all over to perform each night.  If you find yourself headed there in the next few weeks, here's the rest of this festival's line up!

 Have you been to the Flower and Garden Festival?  What's your favorite Outdoor Kitchen?