Great news! I got the chance to speak with Epcot Park Event Content Development Manager Michael Jenner — basically the head honcho when it comes to food at this year’s Flower and Garden Festival — and now I’m excited to share not only his recommendations for noshing around the World this spring, but everything that will be on offer at this year’s Festival!

As you know, the 2013 event will be the first to debut multiple food and beverage marketplaces throughout the World Showcase.

Today, we’ve got a few more great updates and tips to share, plus we’ve got the FULL list of food and beverage offerings!  Click here to see everything you’ll be able to try during the festival this year!

Q&A with Michael Jenner

I can’t wait to try all of the new goodies at the Festival this year! Let’s find out how this awesome addition came about…

Q: What brought about the idea of bringing more food and beverages to the Flower and Garden Festival?

A: We’ve been wanting to do this for several years. It’s been a daytime festival, so even though the parks stayed open at night, the festival kind of shut down. By adding the Food and Beverage component, as well as lit topiaries this year, the festival can continue after dark.

Guests have also been interested in the natural progression of food from garden to table. So the 12 new marketplaces will feature huge gardens in front of them, and the menus will feature ingredients inspired by what we’re displaying in those gardens.

Q: What are a couple of dishes you’re most excited about and recommend?

A: I’ll be at the Smokehouse Barbecue and Brews marketplace all day. We’ll actually have a wood burning smoker on stage smoking the pig for the pulled pig slider. The Smoked Brisket with Collard Greens with Jalapeno Cornbread just melts in your mouth! Also, portions at the smokehouse will be hearty-sized, not tapas-sized — you can’t do barbecue small!

I’m also excited about the Dole Whip with spiced rum at the Pineapple Promenade . We’ll be selling both regular dole whip and the spiced rum version, and the staff is really excited about it.

The Florida Fresh marketplace is featuring ingredients from local farms, and I love the Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits with Andouille Sausage, Zellwood Corn, Tomatoes and Cilantro. It pairs well with the Hot Sun Tomato Wine, which has a spicy, almost Bloody Mary taste.

Q: What other surprises can we expect at the Flower and Garden Festival this year?

A: We’re finalizing the Passport for the Flower and Garden Festival. This will be a lot like the Epcot Food and Wine Festival passport, with which guests can get stamps when they visit various marketplaces.

We’re also excited about the “TRYit” items on the marketplace menus. These are specialty items that are inspired by the gardens around the World Showcase. They’re perfect ways for you (or the kids!) to try something new. One of these items is the Beet Lollipop, a “push-up” filled with roasted red and golden beets and cream cheese. It will be found at Intermissions Cafe in the Festival Center!

You’ll also want to check out the Oz Garden, inspired by the new Disney film, Oz, the Great and Powerful. This playground will be lit so the kids can play at night, and it’s the perfect place for them to blow off some steam while you (the parents) indulge in food from the marketplaces. The Oz Garden is scheduled to open next week (February 11th)!

Now let’s jump right into the full list of incredible eats and drinks you’ll have the chance to indulge in during the festival!

Flower and Garden Festival Marketplaces and Food and Beverage Listing

Note that many items on this list will be available for a Disney Dining Plan snack credit! Items in BOLD below are part of the “TRYit” menu inspired by fruits and vegetables growing in the gardens throughout the World Showcase during the festival! Be sure to [Read more…]