Which Booth Has the Best Surf and Turf at Epcot’s Festival of the Arts?

Two food booths at Epcot’s Festival of the Arts feature both seafood and beef, creating the possibility for a delectable surf and turf flavor combination. The Artist’s Table, in America, presents “Beef Wellington with with Mushroom Bordelaise, Fennel Cream, and Roasted Baby Vegetables” and a “Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and a Parmesan Crisp.” At the Cuisine Classique booth in Germany, you can try “Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with Parsnip Purée, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes and Aged Balsamic” and “Seared Corvina with Braised Ratatouille and Lemon-Thyme Beurre Blanc.” You can tell from the descriptions that they have somewhat similar flavor profiles, but one booth’s food tasted notably more delicious.

The scallop at The Artist’s Table is possibly the most beautiful dish at the Festival of the Arts. The flower balanced on top of the Parmesan crisp that rests on the expertly seared scallop, all on the bright red of the pepper coulis, is visually stunning.

However, the Parmesan crisp overwhelms the scallop—it’s rich, salty goodness (who doesn’t love crispy cheese?), but it’s all you can taste. The chorizo would have added an interesting flavor, but there were just a couple small pieces; I actually didn’t notice it until I was almost done with the dish.

I was excited for the Beef Wellington; it’s one of my favorite dishes, and it’s far too labor intensive for me to make at home. The flavor was solid, but the meat was overcooked, and the presentation could have been a bit prettier. For contrast on both fronts, the photo on the right below is of the fantastic Beef Wellington I had at the Club 33 at Shanghai Disneyland. I enjoyed the mushroom bordelaise and the crisp of the roasted vegetables but would have liked a slightly stronger fennel flavor from the cream.

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For wine, I tried the Barrymore rosé, which was a little tart at first but had a refreshing mineral character that opened while I ate. A robust red would have paired nicely with the beef, but sadly, the only other wine option is a pinot noir. The experience at The Artist’s Table generally is good but imperfect.

The Cuisine Classic booth in Germany, on the other hand, comes within Mary Poppins-distance of perfection. The short rib was perfectly cooked, moist and tender, and it’s well complemented by the savory parsnip puree. The balsamic glaze on the broccolini provided a bright acidic contrast. I didn’t feel that the tomatoes added anything special, but—to be completely honest with you—I almost always feel that way about tomatoes.

The corvina was a heartier dish than the scallop, though equally well seared. Fish usually isn’t my favorite (I’m more of a turf girl), but the citrus flavor of the lemon-thyme beurre blanc had me cleaning my plate. The vegetables weren’t much to look at—The Artist’s Table wins on presentation points—but the flavor was impeccable.

I leaned toward the beef pairing and went with a red wine here, the Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva Art Series, which I really liked with both dishes. It was full enough for the beef but not so big that it overwhelmed the fish, with a lovely berry aroma.

As a bonus, Cuisine Classic has a distinctive dessert, the “Saint-Honoré Tart: Caramel Cream Tart with Caramel Glaze topped with Cream Puffs,” which I was much more eager to try than the drinking chocolate or cookie at The Artist’s Table. This tart actually gives you two desserts in one, with the cream puffs adorning it. The flavor of the pastry overpowered the caramel to some degree, but it was a pleasant end to the meal.