My grandfather’s favorite time to visit Walt Disney World was during Epcot’s annual Food & Wine Festival. He scoped out perennial must haves, like Canada’s Filet Mignon, and Belgium’s Waffle, but also anticipated new surprises. He loved the relaxing rotation around the park, the gradual discovery of each new booth along the path. Somehow we could move so slowly yet time flew by so quickly. The best days are always like that.
Sadly, 2019 was Peepa’s last Food & Wine, but our family has kept the tradition of his favorite festival alive, gathering recently in his honor to meander the world and sample the myriad of food and beverage it had to offer. Of course, Canada was our first stop. Peepa would have strongly approved of this year’s “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon. Perfectly cooked and topped with Truffle-Butter Sauce, as I took my first taste I could see Peepa smiling in my mind’s eye. I wished I could have given him a bite. He would approve for sure.
I’m not sure how my grandfather would have felt about the Sticky Wings with Peanut Sauce and Grape Gel, but wow! Tucked inside the Odyssey building (between Mexico and Test Track), this was one of 5 different wing options. And it was the best! I had to practically beg my dad to try them (“peanut butter on wings, I don’t think so”), but, yeah, he was a believer after the first bite. Who knows, maybe Peepa would’ve been a believer too?
It’s just a short walk from there to Mac & Eats (near Mission: Space), but even if it were a long trek, it would be worth it for the Traditional Mac & Cheese. Easily the winner among the three options here, it is also a winner for the entire festival, and definitely in my Top 3. Peepa would’ve been happy with this choice. I could imagine him asking all of us if we wanted seconds.
Back in World Showcase, I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying the Fisherman’s Seafood Pie in Ireland (near United Kingdom). I’ve sampled this one in the past, never really loving it, but this year it was filled with seafood and just hit the spot. Since he wasn’t a huge seafood fan, Peepa would not have agreed, but he would have highly approved of me giving it a second chance and loved that I loved it. And he would’ve given me a hug, and talked about this year vs. another year. And we would have sat there on the curb soaking it all in, as time passed by slowly ever so quickly.
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