The Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2017 officially kicked off last week and if you haven’t already checked out the world famous event, maybe this new kiosk and these dining options will lure you to the World Showcase.
This year, the Italy Pavilion is offering new drinks at the new Via Napoli Donkey Cart, along with new dining options from Tutto Italia and Via Napoli.
WATCH – NEW KIOSK AND DINING OPTIONS AT ITALY PAVILION:
The Via Napoli Donkey Cart is where guests can choose from an arrangement of cocktails, wines, gelato and sorbetto.
I found quite a few tasty treats worth sharing while recently sampling a few of the items found at both the Donkey Cart and the official Italy kiosk. The Donkey Cart’s Orangecello Cocktail ($12) – a mixture of orangecello, orange and pineapple juice and strawberry puree – is a delightfully sweet and refreshing drink. It wasn’t overly sweet, despite containing several sugary juices. I was pleasantly surprised with this cocktail.
You can’t go wrong with the festival’s Prosecco, a smooth bubbly drink, found at both the Donkey Cart and the Italy Food & Wine kiosk for $9.
For those who prefer reds, a Chianti ($7) is also available the Italy Food & Wine Festival Kiosk and the Via Napoli Pizza Window.
The Limoncello Mule ($14) and the Menabrea Bruna ($11.50) from the Via Napoli Pizza Window are both worth trying. The Limoncello Mule is a mix of wild Sardinia vodka, limoncello, orange juice, pineapple juice, peach purée, lime juice and ginger beer. This drink, similar to the Orangecello Cocktail was light and refreshing. It was the perfect amount of sweetness, as its taste wasn’t overbearing.
The Menabrea Bruna is full of flavor, not too bitter or sour – a much more interesting beer than your everyday American staples.
Of course, the Food and Wine Festival isn’t complete without some delicious dishes and there are many traditional Italian favorites being served here. The Via Napoli Pizza Window serves up meatballs and Pizza Bianca. The meatballs are cooked in red sauce and fresh mozzarella, paired with bread, full of flavor without excessive or overpowering cheese – just the right amount.
The Pizza Bianca, topped with pomodoro, prosciutto, arugula and fresh mozzarella is delicious. If you are a fan of Italian meats and cheeses then this is the pizza for you, a favorite of mine. Together, the prosciutto, fresh arugula and mozzarella toppings paired wonderfully and made for a great pizza.
From the Food & Wine Festival kiosk, I also tried the Crispy Calamari, the Absolut Penne, the Spezzatino con Polenta and the Cannoli al Cioccolato.
The Crispy Calamari is served with a spicy pomodoro sauce on top. If you are already a fan of calamari, like me, then you will enjoy this dish. The pomodoro isn’t too spicy at all, despite what the menu suggests.
The Absolut Penne is made with vodka sauce and shrimp. The sauce is nice and when paired with the shrimp, making for a quite tasty dish.
The Spezztino con Polenta wasn’t my favorite dish of the day due to its richness. This dish is a beef stew with parmesan creamy polenta. The sauce is heavier then I would have liked, too rich overall.
To finish off the samplings, I couldn’t pass up the Cannoli al Cioccolato. This cannoli is made with a chocolate-covered cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate and candied fruit. If you have a sweet tooth then this is definitely the treat for you. This dessert is very sweet and rich for a cannoli, but for its size it isn’t too much.
Other drinks found at the kiosk include:
- Pinot Grigio (white wine) $7.00
- Chianti (red wine) $7.00
- Prosecco (sparkling wine) $9.00
- Corbinello (sweet sparkling wine) $9.00
- Moscato (sweet wine) $9.00
- Frozen Margarita – with Limoncello and Tequila $10.00
- Moretti Lager Beer (6 oz.) $5.50
- Moretti La Rossa Double Malt Beer (6 oz.) $5.50
The Via Napoli Pizza Window can be found to the left of Via Napoli. 
Other items available at this location include:
Pizza
- POLPETTE E MOZZARELLA PARMIGIANA – hand-made beef and veal meatballs, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmigiano, fresh basil, bread 9.50
- PIZZA PEPPERONI – thick crust pepperoni pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella 7.75
- PIZZA MARGHERITA – thick crust cheese pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella 6.75
- MINI CANNOLI SICILIANI – mini cannoli siciliani with ricotta, candied orange and chocolate 5.
Wines
- RED – Quadrio, Nino Negri, nebbiolo 13
- SPARKLING – Prosecco, Villa Sandi, glera 15, Rosa Regale, Banfi, brachetto 13
HOUSE WINE
- WHITE – Pinot Grigio, Cadonini 9
- RED – Chianti, Placido, sangiovese 9
BEER
- MORETTI – draft 9
- VIA EMILIA – bottle italian craft beer 19
- MENABREA AMBRATA – bottle 11.50
COCKTAILS
- BELLINI – peach purée, prosecco sparkling wine 13
WATCH – INSIDE EPCOT FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2017:
To take a look at an overview of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2017, be sure to check out our earlier coverage of the event. All of the options shown above are all currently available at the festival and will be until the festival ends.
