Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2015

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival started today and runs through May 17th.


Last year, gluten free options at the outdoor kitchens were labeled in the Garden Passport.  You can read my food reviews from the 2014 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival here.


For 2015, gluten free options at the outdoor kitchens include:

Fleur de Lys (France Pavilion)
  • Pulled duck confit with garlic & parsley potatoes (I tried this dish last year, but did not enjoy it.  Keep in mind, I am not a fan of duck)
  • Large strawberry marshmallow macaron (new) 


Florida Fresh (Germany Pavilion)
  • Watermelon salad with pickled onions, B&W Gourmet Farms baby arugula, feta cheese and balsamic reduction (enjoyed this dish last year)
  • Shrimp and stone ground grits with Andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro (enjoyed this dish last year)


Pineapple Promenade (World Showcase Promenade)
  • Ace Pineapple Hard Cider (new)

Primavera Kitchen (Italy Pavilion)
  • Limoncello Panna Cotta - lemon custard, limoncello liqueur and raspberries (new)

The Smokehouse: Barbeque and Brews (American Adventure Pavilion)
  • Smoked debreziner sausage with house-made kraut and mustard (new)

Botanas Botanico (located between the France and Morocco Pavilions)
  • Seafood ceviche - shrimp, scallops, and grouper with mango and avocado (new)
  • White corn arepa with braised beef and chayote slaw (new)
  • Cachapas con Queso - Venezuelan sweet yellow corn pancake topped with farmer's cheese (new)

Urban Farm Eats (located between the Refreshment Port and World Showcase Promenade)
  • Kale salad, dried cherries, almonds and goat cheese with white balsamic vinaigrette (new)
  • Ghost pepper dusted tilapia with crisp winter melon slaw and mint oil, featuring The Original Sauce Man's Kick It Up Rub (my favorite dish from 2014)
  • Crispin Blackberry Pear Cider (new)


Oddly enough, some of the gluten free dishes I sampled last year are back for 2015 , but are not labeled gluten free in the My Disney Experience App.  These dishes include the frushi from the Hanami Outdoor Kitchen (Japan Pavilion), taco al pastor from Jardin de Fiestas Outdoor Kitchen (Mexico Pavilion), and the Beijing-style candied strawberries from the Lotus House Outdoor Kitchen (China Pavilion).

Update - My friend Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW has confirmed that the Beijing-style candied strawberries are gluten free and dairy free.  You can find links to all her Flower & Garden food reviews on her main festival page here.  


I will be updating this blog post with food reviews this weekend.

March 7, 2015 Update


Earlier today, we had a chance to sample the two desserts that are marked as gluten free in the garden passport.  My whole family loved the large strawberry marshmallow macaron from the Fleur De Lys outdoor kitchen.  The strawberry macaron was not overly sweet, and it was paired well with the marshmallow filling.  I also really enjoyed the limoncello panna cotta from Primavera Kitchen, though it was not as lemony as I expected.  There was no alcohol taste from the liqueur, and it was a nice light dessert.  


March 14, 2015 Update

Last night, we had dinner at the outdoor kitchens at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.  Our first stop was at Botanas Botanico, located between the France and Morocco Pavilions.


The Cachapas con Queso, Venezuelan sweet yellow corn pancake topped with farmer's cheese was my favorite dish of the night.  It was slightly sweet, and I really liked the farmer's cheese melted on top.


I also enjoyed the seafood ceviche with shrimp, scallops, grouper, mango, and avocado.  It wasn't fishy at all, and I thought the mango and avocado were great accompaniments for the fish in this nice, light dish.


Everyone in my family liked the white corn arepa with braised beef and chayote slaw, which is gluten free and dairy free, like the seafood ceviche.


We also stopped by Florida Fresh to order the shrimp and stone ground grits with Andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Last year, we were always served a much larger portion of grits, and I don't remember the dish being spicy, but the sausage this year has a nice spicy kick.

My gluten-eating family loved the following gluten-filled dishes: coconut tres leches cake from Botanas Botanico, cheese manicotti from Primavera Kitchen, and Kung Pao chicken bun from Lotus House.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival this year?

February 19, 2016 Update

The 2016 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival starts March 2nd and runs through May 30th.  Gluten free options are noted in the 2016 Garden Passport, which you can view here.

Urban Farm Eats
  • Watermelon salad with pickled onion, B&W Gourmet Farms baby arugula, feta and balsamic reduction 
La Isla Fresca 
  • Jerk-spice grouper or chicken with mango salsa, chayote and green papaya slaw with lime-cilantro vinaigrette
Bauernmarkt: Farmer's Market
  • Currywurst with paprika chips - roasted bratwurst with curry ketchup and paprika-spiced chips
Primavera Kitchen
  • Cremoso al Pistacchio - pistacchio cream, strawberries and mascarpone cream
The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews
  • Smoked pork ribs with roasted corn salad
Florida Fresh
  • Kale salad with dried cherries, almonds, goat cheese and white balsamic vinaigrette
  • Shrimp and stone-ground grits with andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro
Fleur De Lys
  • Cassoulet au Confit de Canard - pulled duck confit with braised flageolet beans
Cider House
  • Land-harvested field greens with apples, dried blueberries, stilton cheese and apple cider vinaigrette
  • Freshly baked lemon scone with creme fraiche and mixed berries (I will definitely be checking on the gluten free status of this item)



3 comments:

  1. Do you know if any of the alcoholic offerings are gluten-free? Have you tried any of them personally? Some of the fruity, slushy drinks sound awful yummy!

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    2. Jackie, that's a great question that I wish I knew the answer to. I rarely drink, and when I do, I usually just have a hard cider.

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