Oh, France! Now that EPCOT has decided to banish the Ireland stand to the bland airport terminal known as CommuniCore, I have a feeling that gay Paris is going to become my new favorite destination.
This year, we tried two returning plates and the new Cosmo:
- Frozen French Cosmo: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, Grand Marnier and Cranberry Juice
- Boeuf Bourguignon, Pommes de Terre Roties: Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet with Roasted Potatoes
- Crème Brûlée Mangue et Passion a la Confiture: Mango Passion Crème Brûlée with Fruit Compote
Boeuf Bourguignon (yes, I say it in Julia Child’s voice, too) is a comfort food. It’s always the same, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s essentially a fancy pot roast but sits heavier in your stomach. Consider getting this if you don’t plan on eating something else for a while at EPCOT.
Crème Brûlée Mangue, while not new at EPCOT, is something I had not tried before. Mangos are my all-time favorite stone fruit, but they don’t work in every dish. Such was the case in the crème brûlée.
At first, the dish looked like your run-of-the-mill custard. Even the first bite didn’t have the distinctive mango tang. Turns out the fruit compote was hidden under the top layer of vanilla custard. Is this really how this thing is supposed to be? I thought the custard was supposed to be made of mango.
It just didn’t come together. I watched the reaction of someone else eating it who didn’t expect the contrasting flavor mixture. The face they made wasn’t that of enjoyment. Skip this and go for the Cosmo.
The Frozen French Cosmo is smooth, but the problem we encountered was that the Cast Member running the blender wasn’t allowing it to eat up the ice enough. Thanks to the giant ice chunks, taking a sip was challenging. We let it sit in the blazing Florida sun for a bit to get it almost totally melted. Then, and only then, was the Cosmo enjoyable.
While the 2024 International Food & Wine Festival’s food was great, we noticed a few issues. Communicore is a massive eyesore inside and out, but the most unsettling thing is the apparent mold in some of the World Showcase shops. Check it out here.
We know that mango crème brûlée isn’t for everyone, but many other options exist.
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