Welcome to a food studio review for the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, taking place in the park all week from January 12^th to February 19^th, 2018. This review will cover “The Painter’s Palate” Food Studio

The Painter’s Palate

Trio of Savory Croissant Doughnuts: Whipped Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese with Fresh Herbs (V), Chicken Salad with Shaved Fennel and Fresh Herbs, Spicy Tuna with Wasabi and Seaweed Salad – $9.50

While it may be $2 overpriced, we feel the items stand for themselves. Expect a really awesome whipped garlic croissant, a very salty chicken salad, and a relatively spicy piece of nicely seared tuna. If you’re getting the Gallery Bites trio, you might as well pick this one up too.

Gallery Bites: A Trio of Hors d’Oeuvres : , Chilled Shrimp with Cucumber Cream Cheese on a Crostini, Traditional Deviled Egg with Candied Bacon, Crispy Truffled Risotto Ball with Stone-ground Mustard – $7.00

A much better price for three very different, yet complementary, offerings. The chilled shrimp were good, nothing amazing. The deviled egg was also another very solid item, unfortunately it doesn’t hold a candle to Homecomin‘, and the candied bacon was gelatinous on one side indicating this item was sitting out for a while and not freshly prepared. We did, however, enjoy the risotto ball. Both of these trio items we feel were far better than last year’s offerings. Pick up both and soak-in some of the art around the Odyssey Festival Center.

Pop’t Art: Abstract Designed Sugar Cookie with Strawberry Filling (V) – $4.25

It’s a pop-tart and cookie hybrid, this year with a strawberry filling. You may remember last year’s had a hazelnut filling and we felt it was a sugar rush, well this year isn’t much a change. Again, you can get some really cool pictures and every piece is unique, but it’s not unique enough to warrant a purchase especially at the price tag.

White Chocolate Figment Puzzle on an Artist Palette – $6.50

Perhaps the most fun item of the festival is this white chocolate Figment puzzle. Not only do you get to put the Puzzle together, but you can than create your own edible art with it. This should be something that any child will just have a blast making (and eating). Plus, how adorable is it?

The chocolate was of a good quality too, so you’ll be happy to know that it tastes as good as it looks.

Pomegranate Mule featuring Van Gogh Vodka – $9.50

There’s no sponsored ginger beer this year, but they’re still using the delicious Van Gogh vodka making for actually a decent Mule. There’s way worse ways to spend $9 at the festival, and we at least feel this money is justified by the tart yet refreshing drink. We recommend it.

Popcorn Pairing Flight (North Coast Brewing Co. Scrimshaw Pilsner Style Beer, M.I.A. Brewing Company Jazz IPA, Central 28 Beer Company Miss Mary Brown Oatmeal Brown Ale) – $11.00

Yup, those are beers under the popcorn samplings. While they don’t pour the full ounces of the beer, you do get some interesting popcorn choices. It’s unfortunate that the largest part of the beer glass is the portion not filled, so you’re really only getting 3/4th of the total pour you would be getting with another flight at another booth, and we don’t feel the popcorn makes up for it. With that being said, the Cast Members recommended taking a piece of popcorn and then drinking the beer, which worked out really well. The flavors were paired expertly and it truly felt like a Festival of the Arts item. Absolutely recommended.

Topher Wallace