by Disney Magic Diva
Hey Mouseketeers! Here’s some great news about the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival! It involves Remy’s brother, Emilie, and what else – CHEESE!
Emilie’s Fromage Montage is debuting at the Festival this year. It’s similar to a bar crawl – but with cheese – and it’s so easy to participate. All you need to do is pick up your free Festival Passport at the entrance, any of the Global Marketplaces, or any merchandise location. Then, as you stroll around Epcot sampling the wide variety of cuisine, look for the little cheese icon on the menu boards. Choose any 5 to try. Each time you purchase a menu item that qualifies, be sure to have your Festival Passport stamped. (There’s a special page for this in the back of your Passport.) Once you have 5 stamps, take your Passport to Simmering Sips and be treated to everyone’s favorite form of cheese – cheesecake!
We are huge cheese fans, so we were pretty excited to tackle Emile’s Fromage Montage. There are a few things to keep in mind:
- There are only 5 different participating menu items for Emile’s Fromage Montage. Not every dish available at the Festival will qualify. Be sure to check for the “cheese” icon on the menu board or consult your Festival Passport.
- You DO NOT need to try each of the participating menu items. If you find an item you love, you can have it 5 times – just be sure it is on the participating menu for it to qualify.
- There are 5 Global Marketplaces which offer a participating menu item: Earth Eats, The Cheese Studio, The Alps (a new destination for 2019!), Germany, and Brazil. Your complimentary cheesecake is found at Simmering Sips.
- Your Festival Passport must be stamped when you purchase the participating menu item. You can’t just use the stickers which come with your Passport and place them in yourself. The cashier will use a special stamp to mark your Passport.
- You DO NOT need to complete your Fromage Montage in one visit. You are welcome to try your five dishes over multiple visits but must remember to bring your Passport to be stamped each time.
We chose to try each of the five items on the Fromage Montage. Here’s our quick review:
Black Pepper Boursin Soufffle
Black Pepper Boursin Souffle at The Cheese Studio. This was our favorite! It was warm and had a light, cake-y texture more than a souffle feel. The fig marmalade on top was delicious, and gave it a slight sweetness which was magnificent. We’d definitely order this again. And again!
Impossible Cottage Pie at Earth Eats. This was described at Impossible ground meat with carrots, mushrooms, and peas topped with mashed cauliflower, white beans, and mozzarella. We’d never tried Impossible meat before, and we were all impressed! The pie was hot, and tasted just like a shepard’s pie with ground beef and mashed potaoes – only healthier!
Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with baby potatoes, cornichons, and a baguette from The Alps. We were excited to try this because we’re big swiss cheese lovers, but we thought it was a little disappointing. The potatoes were great, but the cheese had an unexpected, almost bitter taste. Not at all what we were anticipating.
Schinkennudeln (pasta gratin with ham, onions and cheese) from Germany. This was also less than what we were expecting. It tasted like it had been warmed up rather than made fresh, and the onions completely overwhelmed any ham flavor. We’d definitely pass next time.
Pao de Queijo from Brazil. Described as Brazilian cheese bread, we all thought it would be a clear winner. Unfortunately, we had mixed reviews. My husband and son thought it was acceptable and finished every bite, but I was done after one mouthful. They were happy with the cheese flavor, but I thought the bread was tasteless and had a rubbery texture. It sat like a glob in my stomach, yet they enjoyed it. To each their own, I guess!
After sampling all 5 menu offerings, we headed to Shimmering Sips to indulge in our complimentary cheesecake. It may have been the rainstorm that suddenly burst upon us right as we received our cheesecake, but we were disheartened by it. First, it was extremely small – barely 3 bites. And it was more like a tart than a cheesecake, with a heavy, tough crust and mousse-like texture. But of course, that didn’t stop us from gobbling it up. Just not quite what we imagined.
We all had fun completing Emilie’s Fromage Montage, and would do it again if offered next year provided they had new dishes to try. Strolling the booths with a “purpose” made our visits more engaging and gave us a “goal” to achieve. We tried foods we may have otherwise passed on given their descriptions, and found a couple we truly loved!
Of course, there are dozens and dozens of other scrumptious dishes at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Be sure to read about other dishes we enjoyed as we tasted our way around the world!
Are you headed to Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Want to be? Contact Patricia at All for Dreams Travel for a free quote!
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