REVIEW: New Char & Chop Marketplace Opens With Meat (and Fake Meat) Aplenty at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

Four new marketplaces have opened at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival today, and we’re here to try them all! Char & Chop seems to focus on different types of meats, even including a spicy grilled Impossible sausage!

char and chop food and wine 2023 5564

Menu for Char & Chop at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

char and chop food and wine 2023 5567

Food:

  • 🆕Roasted Porchetta with Lemon-Parsley Salsa Verde and Shaved Fennel Salad – $6.25
  • 🆕Grilled IMPOSSIBLE Spicy Sausage with Herbed Polenta, Puttanesca Sauce, and Ricotta – $6.00
  • 🆕Meat Assorti: Trio of Shaved Meats with Baby Arugula, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Truffle Oil, and Grilled Ciabatta – $6.75

Beverages:

The Pinot Noir was last seen at Wine & Dine Featuring Festival Favorites in 2020, while a version of the Bloody Mary could be found at The Swanky Saucy Swine last year.

Photos of Menu Items from Char & Chop at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

char and chop food and wine 2023 5589

*NEW* Roasted Porchetta with Lemon-Parsley Salsa Verde and Shaved Fennel Salad – $6.25

char and chop food and wine 2023 5592

This is very flavorful and a decent-sized portion for the price.

char and chop food and wine 2023 5593

It has a strong lemon flavor, but that doesn’t overpower the dish to the point of being unpleasant.

char and chop food and wine 2023 5594
char and chop food and wine 2023 7983

Our group liked this quite a bit.

*NEW* Grilled IMPOSSIBLE Spicy Sausage with Herbed Polenta, Puttanesca Sauce, and Ricotta – $6.00

char and chop food and wine 2023 9742

It’s common for plant-based dishes to use Impossible sausage and for good reason because it is fairly pleasant and most people can’t tell it apart from real sausage.

char and chop food and wine 2023 9743

The spiciness gives this a nice kick without being too hot. The meat is delicious if a little on the dry side, which is probably normal for an Impossible sausage.

char and chop food and wine 2023 9745

The “cheese” had a coolness that calmed the spicy flavor of the sausage if that’s what you want. Overall, this was our favorite item from Char & Chop.

*NEW* Meat Assorti: Trio of Shaved Meats with Baby Arugula, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Truffle Oil, and Grilled Ciabatta – $6.75

Meat Assorti Char Chop EPCOT FW 2023 1

The meats were pleasant enough. The ciabatta was actually prepared perfectly with a crispy outside and a soft charred center.

Meat Assorti Char Chop EPCOT FW 2023 2

While the meets were a little bit on the dry side, that didn’t ruin the dish and this is easily shareable with a group.

Meat Assorti Char Chop EPCOT FW 2023 4

The mustard seeds give it a nice flavor, and because they are off to the side, you can apply them to your own taste.

*NEW* Krombacher Pilsner, Kreuztal, Germany (4.8% ABV) – $5.50 for 6 oz., $9.50 for 12 oz.

From Krombacher: “On the nose, Krombacher Pils provides an abundance of fruity hop aromas, which give way to a beautifully balanced malt backbone on the palate. Fresh and smooth, the famous Felsquellwasser and Hallertau hops ensure the beer is crisp, clean and offers a refreshing, long-lasting light bitter finish. Naturally full flavored.”

*NEW* North Coast Laguna Baja Vienna Lager, Fort Bragg, CA (5.0% ABV) – $5.50 for 6 oz., $9.50 for 12 oz.

From North Coast Brewing Co.: “Laguna Baja is a classically styled Vienna lager (in the Mexican mode), rich dark amber, with a malty aroma and a full, creamy body.”

*NEW* Motorworks Brewing Midnight Espresso Coffee Porter, Bradenton, FL (6.9% ABV) – $5.50 for 6 oz., $9.50 for 12 oz.

From Motorworks Brewing: “Using coffee beans hand-roasted right here at Motorworks Brewing, we make a darker roast on Sumatra beans to impart toasted & roasty flavors, while a slightly lighter roast on Sulawesi beans provides fruity undertones, we combine the coffee blend and infuse it into our porter base to make the award winning Midnight Espresso coffee porter. It features strong chocolate and coffee notes in the aroma and taste, which is derived from dark caramel and chocolate malts with and a slight sweet finish round out this medium-bodied porter.”

GoGi ‘Birdie’ Pinot Noir ($70/bottle), California – $16.00

Marcos Iglesias on Vivino describes this wine as having a “pale ruby” color and a “dry, acidic, [and] light bodied” taste, with notes of “strawberry and cherries.”

Bloody Mary with Seaside Grown Bloody Mary Mix ($10/bottle) and Kurvball Barbecue Whiskey ($25/bottle) – $11.00

char and chop food and wine 2023 9749

The thought of BBQ whiskey confused our brains for a few minutes and this is a very savory drink. The sausage they used as garnish is fine, but we prefer the Impossible sausage.

char and chop food and wine 2023 9750

The drink has quite a bit of a spicy kick and while it’s not necessarily refreshing, we can see how it would be pleasant in a more tempered environment.

char and chop food and wine 2023 9751

Location of Char & Chop at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

2023 FW Kitchens Map 1

Char & Chop is located near Disney Traders. You can find it at number 8 on the map above.

The 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is running from July 27 through November 18.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post REVIEW: New Char & Chop Marketplace Opens With Meat (and Fake Meat) Aplenty at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival appeared first on WDW News Today.