Food and Wine Fest 2013: Round Five

Getting closer and closer to the end. There are just a handful of items still on my "must eat" list. This time I collected one of my best friends at the entrance if Epcot and we embarked on yet another round of deliciousness. First stop...

HOPS AND BARLEY


Griddled Lobster Tail with Garlic Herb Butter.

I'm not typically a huge fan of lobster -- I don't hate it or anything, but it's a lot of work and the meat is a bit sweeter than I prefer -- but, I'm sorry, did you say shellfish drenched in "Garlic Herb Butter" now? I'm in! The lobster was good. The garlic herb butter was to die for.


At this point, I had a real taste for...

CHEESE


Artisan Cheese Selection.

First of all, it's cheese. I'm a big fan of cheese. In the past, some of the cheeses have been a little on the boring side, not that that fact makes them less tasty. This year, though, was interesting. Starting on the left and moving right, the first cheese was La Bonne Vie Triple Creme Brie served with apricot jam. I happen to like brie. It was mild and mellow and creamy, and it was so good combined with the texture of the jam, and its sweet-tartness. I could have eaten a lot more of this one. It was definitely my favorite. Next, there was Beecher's Flagship Reserve served with honey. I'm not sure what kind of cheese this was exactly; it reminded me of a moderately sharp white cheddar. It had a tang that played nicely off the sweet honey, was a harder, drier texture, but still somehow came across as creamy. I found this cheese to be tasty but confusing. I'll call it my least favorite, but it was by no means bad; it just reminded me of cheddar enough that it wasn't anything that grabbed my attention. Finally, there was Wyngaard Goats Gouda with Craisn bread. I don't think I've ever had a goat milk gouda before. It was firmer than I expected and had a bit of a tangy bite to it. I think I would have liked better with a grainy cracker than the Craisin toast, but the cheese itself was pleasantly surprising in both taste and texture.


We had sequestered ourselves on a really great bench in China to eat cheese. The sun was warm and the crowds were getting heavier, so I kept the shady spot locked in while Daniel headed off to round us up some food from...

SOUTH KOREA


Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce.

This one is a new addition for 2013. I was hemming and hawing over whether I was going to give this one a go, but as the Fest wears on, I found myself increasingly more curious. I have no idea if this is legitimately South Korean cuisine or not, but it was interesting! The hot dog, itself, packed a bit of a punch, though it took me a couple of bites to figure out it was the hot dog and not the slaw or the mustard sauce. The kimchi was really more of a slaw, similar to what they put on the lettuce wrap. This was a really fun and tasty new dish to try and I am glad I decided to give it a shot.


I was getting pretty close to full, but there was definitely room for one more stop.

BRAZIL


Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado and Cilantro.

Ever since I first saw this on the menu sneak peek, I had this one on my radar. They seem to cook with it whenever possible on Top Chef, so I was curious. Then my mom tried it and raved over it and I was sold. I knew I would try it. And oh am I ever glad I did. It was like a giant slab of bacon, fried nice and crispy on the outside, and the inside just melted in my mouth. The onion, avocado and tomato "relish" added some nice freshness to the heavier meat, and the black beans (which I could usually take or leave) were so excellent, I scraped the dish clean.


Happy tummy. Happy taste buds. One more round should finish off the list!