As a Floridian, fall means enjoying a pumpkin spice latte in 90-degree weather, instead of the normal 95, but luckily, it also means the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT! Now those who know me, know that I love food, especially cheese (so much so that my husband wrote about it in our wedding vows, oy vey!). With that being said, I was really excited to see the return of one of my favorite kiosks, The Cheese Studio, which is hosted by Boursin this year. If you’ve never had Boursin cheese, you are missing out! It’s a creamy cheese that originated in France and it has a consistency similar to, but lighter than cream cheese, that melts in your mouth. Boursin boasts several different varieties, but my absolute favorite is garlic and fine herbs. The kiosk this year has three unique dish offerings utilizing several of the flavors.
The first dish, Braised Beef Stroganoff with Tiny Egg Noodles, Wild Mushroom, and Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese Sauce, could probably be skipped despite how delicious it sounds. We loved the idea of this one, but the flavors, unfortunately, just come out a little boring, even using the Garlic and Herb Boursin, which I think is hard to do.
The second dish, however, A Cheese Trio: Profiterole topped with Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs Cheese and Orange Apricot Jam; Smoked Salmon Pinwheel with Boursin Shallot and Chive Cheese and Everything Seasoning; and Strawberry Macaroon with Boursin Pepper Cheese, is really good! The Smoked Salmon Pinwheel is as expected and quite tasty. But the Profiterole and the Macaroon steal the show. I was hesitant because the sweet and savory combination can be hard to master, but these both are really fun and delicious combinations.
My favorite dish by far though is the Savory Caramelized Onion Boursin Garlic and Fine Herb Cheese Tart with cold Arugula Salad and Aged Balsamic. Let me just start off by saying that the Tart has dethroned the Grilled Lamb with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies (potato chips for the lay person) from Australia as my favorite dish at the Festival, which is saying a lot. Upon first bite, you immediately taste the great flavor and creaminess of the Boursin cheese, then from there, a slightly sweet flavor develops from the caramelized onions, and finally, there is a delicious tartness from the aged balsamic salad. If you are not a super adventurous eater, but want to delve into the spirit of expanding your horizons at the Food and Wine Festival, then this is a great item to start with. We’ve had it several times now and it has consistently been delicious. The other thing that I love about this dish, is that it’s one of the best values for your money ringing in at $4.50 for a very filling serving. I actually suggest sharing it if you want to eat your way around the countries.
Get to EPCOT to try a Tart before it goes away, but feel free to reach out if you have any other questions about the Food and Wine Festival or any food at Disney!
Jen Morrison
Travel Specialist
