Today, we braved the late-summer heat and humidity to explore some festival food at Epcot. To avoid a long trek into the World Showcase, we decided to stick to food booths near the entrance.

Our first stop was Bramblewood Bites, located on the walkway between Journey with Figment and the World Showcase. The food here is grilled, and the aroma drew us in like Remy into Gusteau’s kitchen. True to Jotter form, we each picked a dish and shared them. Our choices were the Grilled Bison and the Grilled Cider-Brined Pork Tenderloin.

Grilled Bison

First, the grilled bison. It was superb – grilled just a shade past medium and topped with a gastrique made of huckleberry and caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar. The bison was incredibly flavorful, and the gastrique kept it tender and juicy. It was served on a bed of butternut squash purée and roasted mushrooms, which we thought stole the show. The strong, salty flavors were bold and delicious. If you’re not a fan of squash, mushrooms, or salt, you might want to skip the sides and just enjoy the bison.

Grilled Cider-Brined Pork Tenderloin

The pork tenderloin was good but didn’t quite wow us. It was perfectly grilled and seasoned, though slightly on the dry side. Topped with fennel apple slaw and served with an apple cider gastrique, the dish had a nice balance of flavors. We recommend dipping the pork into the gastrique to enhance the taste.

Bramblewood Bites also offers cast iron-roasted Brussels sprouts and root vegetables, gogo pinot noir, and a spiced apple old-fashioned inspired cocktail. These items are available at Bramblewood Bites until the end of the International Food and Wine Festival on November 23rd, 2024.