Alright, here is my ranking as it currently stands after two visits. Now with pictures! Anything 7 or higher is a recommend. Anything above 8 or so I would consider a must try!
If there is a number before the name of the dish, that is how many times we've tried that dish.
(2) Taco de Puerco (Mexico) - 9.0/10 - First one was loaded with tender, juicy pork belly and tasty green sauce. Second one had about half as much on it, and was pretty dry. I'll leave this at the top, as the first one was so good. But YMMV.
Mala Chicken and Shrimp Bao Bun (China) - 8.5/10 - The sauce on the chicken and shrimp was very tasty.
Boeuf Braisé à la Borderlaise (France) - 8.5/10 - Very tender beef, very tasty sauce. Potatoes were delicious, but kind of hard to eat. They kept falling apart.
Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese (The Alps) - 8.5/10 - Getting a fresh one is critical. Ours was melty and quite tasty. There were 2 very small potatoes and 1 tiny pickle hiding under the cheese.
Maple Bourbon Cheesecake (Cheese Studio) - 8.5/10 - One of favorites from last year, and it's just as good this year. I always ask for one fresh out of the fridge, as being cold improves it quite a bit.
Banana Almond Soft Serve Sundae (Shimmering Sips) - 8.0/10 - Refreshing and quite tasty. Good size portion.
Spanish-style Paella (Spain) - 8.0/10 - I didn't care for this last year, but quite enjoyed it this time. I think it's just the luck of draw, as it looks basically the same. The sausage is quite good.
Blueberry and Almond Frangipane Tart (The Alps) - 8.0/10 - The crust on this is amazing.
(3) Deconstructed Pavlova (Australia) - 8.0/10 - First time we got it it was room temperature, and scored a 7.0. We asked for one straight from the fridge the second time, and it was quite a bit better, earning it's current 8.0.
Impossible Cottage Pie (Earth Eats) - 8.0/10 - Shockingly good. Tastes like real meat. I expected the cauliflower mash to be a deal breaker, but even that was pretty good.
Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin (Africa) - 7.5/10 - This was delicious, but my beef was full of gristle. If it had been tender this would be higher.
NY Strip Steak Green Shermoula Flatbread (Morocco) - 7.5/10 - Basically a beef soft taco. Good though!
Teriyaki-glazed SPAM Hash (Hawaii) - 7.5/10 - One of my favorite items last year, but not quite as good this year. Smaller portion, not as much sauce, and the potatoes are mushier. Still pretty good.
Black Pepper Shrimp (China) - 7.5/10 - We always like this. Shrimp still had tails on this year.
Ravioli Carbonara (Italy) - 7.5/10 - Strong parmesan flavor, which I like. Lots of fairly crispy bacon as well. Not bad, which means it's outstanding for the Italy booth!
Charcuterie in a Cone (Spain) - 7/5/10 - Nothing earth shattering, just decent meats, cheeses, and olives. Mine was particularly sausage heavy.
Pacifico True Striped Bass Tostada (Coastal Eats) - 7.5/10 - Good, but could have used more of the delicous green sauce. Fish was a tad bit dry.
Jerk-spiced Chicken (Islands of the Caribbean) - 7.0/10 - Chicken was good, and spicy. I didn't care for anything else in the dish, though. It would have cooled down the spicy chicken, but it was just too sweet for a savory dish.
Frozen Mimosa (Shimmering Sips) - 7.0/10 - Refreshing, but maybe a bit too sweet. Almost no taste of alcohol.
Braised Beef Stroganoff (Cheese Studio) - 7.0/10 - Pretty good, but the noodles kind of got lost with all of the sauce. Decent sized portion.
Frothy Ramen (Japan) - 7.0/10 - Expected this to be gross, as I don’t like cold noodles, but it was pretty good. Oddly sweet.
New England Lobster Roll (Hops & Barley) - 7.0/10 - Not bad, but not as good as previous years. There were no lumps of meat here, just shreds. And it was a bit dry, and kind of warm.
"La Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon (Canada) - 7.0/10 - This is usually really good, but this time it was overcooked (borderline well done) and kind of tough. It was a large portion, with tons of mushrooms.
Nigerian Meat Pie (Refreshment Outpost) - 7.0 - Tastes very similar to frozen Jamaican Beef Patties. Maybe with a bit more of an African spice profile. Could have been crispier.
Charcuterie and Cheese Plate (Appleseed Orchard) - 7.0/10 - The maple syrup added an interesting flavor to the cheeses. The meats were fine, but uninteresting. The lump of apple stuff was kind of gross, though.
Caramel Apple Popcorn (Appleseed Orchard) - 7.0/10 - Pretty good flavor. And the popcorn still tasted fresh, not stale like a lot of flavored popcorn. Plus, the container is adorable.
Capirotada de Chocolate (Mexico) - 7.0/10 - Typical chocolate bread pudding.
Tostada de Carne (Mexico) - 6.5/10 - Wasn’t a big fan of the mole on this. The meat was good, though.
Frozen Apple Pie (Appleseed Orchard) - 6.0/10 - I didn't try this, but my wife gave it a 6, saying it was "too sweet". I forgot to take a picture of just the drink, so here it is with the popcorn!
Baked Shrimp and Scallop Scampi Dip (Coastal Eats) - 5.0/10 - The dip was runny and kind of gross, and the scallops were nothing special. On their own, I'd give the two scallops a 6.5, and the dip a 4.
Venison Stew (The Alps) - 5.0/10 - I really didn't like the sauce. It was oddly sour. The meat was tender, but a bit gamey.
Madras Red Curry (India) - 4.0/10 - Definitely not for me. Had a sour, bitter taste. Chickpeas were hard. I threw most of this away.
