Busch Gardens Tampa whets our appetite with their 2016 Food & Wine Festival menu

in Busch Gardens, Entertainment, Events, Food, Music, Theme Parks

It’s that delicious time of year again!

That’s right, the annual Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival returns this spring, and with it, some insane new culinary delights including a menu of more than 35 dishes designed specifically for this year’s romp in the park. The Festival takes place on weekends March 5 through April 24, and is included with park admission.

The event also features a beefed-up wine list of over 120 wines, craft brews and cocktails. If that’s not enough, you’ll also be getting exclusive performances from chart-topping musical artists including Andy Grammer, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The All-American Rejects, O.A.R, Gente de Zona and many more. Top that off with Food Sampler and Wine by the Bottle options, and you’re geared up for one heck of an experience!

15 all-new dishes sizzle up the fest, including duck tacos, lobster ravioli, truffle fries and almond coconut truffles. On top of that, Festival classics like bacon mac & cheese and the griddled cheese cake sandwich are back by popular demand. There are also 11 different culinary cabins that guests can visit all throughout the park, each with its own menu. Tell me these don’t get the saliva flowing:

Artisan Eats: Artisan Eats introduces sophisticated flavors crafted to treat guests’ appetites, including truffle fries, shrimp & grits and pan-fried bread pudding with Nutella®-mascarpone drizzle.

Garden Gate Cafe: Garden Gate Café joins the Festival this year with pheasant sausage flatbread topped with filet de pomodoro and tuna poke.

Gourmet Lodge: The exotic flavors of Gourmet Lodge feature smoked beef brisket, pickled shrimp over couscous salad and a guest-favorite griddled cheese cake sandwich.

Savory Tavern: The rich flavors of Savory Tavern tempt taste buds with coconut shrimp cigars, espresso flan, and a goat cheese polenta cake topped with olives and tomatoes.

Chef’s Plantation: Chef’s Plantation is home to hearty flavors, including pan-seared salmon cakes, beef short ribs and duck tacos with sweet chili sauce.

Coast to Coast Cookery: Tastes of the land and sea come together at Coast to Coast Cookery, featuring green peppercorn-seared hangar steak, bacon-wrapped prawns and chilled smoked chicken with apples, sundried cranberries and walnut quinoa. 

Field House Eatery: The Field House Eatery is the Festival’s biggest location, offering pan-seared diver scallops and lamb chops with tabouleh and tatziki sauce.

Southern Station: Southern Station tantalizes taste buds with all-new bison sliders, pan-fried cod over fennel risotto, roasted pork belly with red pepper jam, and venison chili with roasted corn, black beans and lime sour cream.                                                               

Comfort Kitchen: The Comfort Kitchen fuses classics like the famous bacon mac & cheese with contemporary elegant eats like lobster ravioli over tomato basil sauce.

Light Fare Canteen: The Light Fare Canteen freshens the palate with returning favorites like scallop ceviche, a potato and goat cheese tart, and a perfect cheese plate to accompany a glass of wine.

Blazin’ Bistro: Blazin’ Bistro breaks out the grill for island-inspired cuisine, featuring jerk chicken sliders, roasted cauliflower hummus and a refreshing vanilla Cigar City Maduro® ice cream float with caramel.

2016_Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival_Tomato Goat Cheese Polenta Cake

2016_Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival_Lamb Chop Tabouleh Tatziki Sauce

2016_Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival_Flourless Chocolate Torte

For more information, make sure to check out buschgardens.com. In the meantime, what do you guys think sounds best on the menu?

in Busch Gardens, Entertainment, Events, Food, Music, Theme Parks

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