By Ashley L. Hunt

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the theme park and one of America's largest zoological institutions, recently had their Annual Food and Wine festival. Yours Truly was able to go on the last day.

I went to the festival at the last part of the last day. Due to this most of the pavilions were out or low on supplies. Much of the animal areas were closed by that time too, so I recommend go early in the event and choose a time before 4 pm.

The food itself is good. Obviously, it isn't going to be top fare, but it really is good. Think more along the lines of State fair.

The Empanada

There were 2 options for the empanada: Beef or Spinach. It was served well cooked, not burned with a crispy golden shell and a side of salsa. The filling was rich, and well-seasoned but not spicy. As I said, decent Fair food. 6/10

The Crab Cake (And coleslaw)

My cousin is proudly from the crab state, Maryland. He got the crab cakes and was genuinely surprised how good it was. Perfectly golden brown with a fresh crab filling and light airy dough. 8/10

Bonus: The coleslaw was also good. A little crunchy with a creamy base and a light sweetness to the ending. 9/10

We walked around a little and listened to the live music. The main stage was too crowded to get near but the smaller stage had a really great performer who was excellent at crowd work.

After checking to see the kangaroo enclosure (closed for the night) we went to Taproom Springs for the Brisket.

The Brisket

We waited 20 minutes with the line all the way to the door, and got a tiny sandwich. We are very critical of brisket, as my brother works in an excellent barbecue restaurant. It was more like a sloppy joe with barbecue sauce. The meat was tender and not too dry. 7/10

We tried to get something to drink at this point, but there was no wine left.

Something new this year was Garden art. It was scattered around the event. The greenery and the lighting was well balances and the details were well thought out. I would recommend going just to see the snail.

It was breezy out so I found a nice shaded place to sit while my cousin went to ride Iron Gwazi,

the world's fastest and steepest hybrid coaster. Along with 76 mph, and a 91-degree drop, it also features 4,075 feet of track with 12 airtime moments, and 3 inversions. I've seen super enthusiastic coaster riders walk off this one with a windswept, bewildered look in their faces.

It's still one of my cousins favorite roller coasters. We walked around a little more before deciding it was time to try some desserts.

I was really hoping to find some Banana Fosters, unfortunately they were out. One pavilion only had Peaches sorbet. Due to a very particular incident involving peaches when we were young, my brother and I can't stand the peach flavor. Another pavilion still had “Strawberry vanilla cream pie” which turned out to be a thick pound cake with a strawberry vanilla cream filling. It was sweet, dense and tart. We both liked it very much. 9/10

As the last of the festival was closing up, we found a place that still had wine. Stella Rosa Tropical Mango had a soft summer flavor, with a light fruity finish.

Best: The Strawberry vanilla cream pie

Worst: The Brisket

Surprise: Actually good Coleslaw

After the food and wine festival closed, the sun was starting to set. The garden sculptures were still around.

After dark, there were still rides and shops. We walked around the rest of the park a little longer. I definitely had a great time and would recommend the festival days for those who are looking for some decent food and good wine. Go early in the event and earlier in the day. Bring sunscreen and water, just to be safe.

Busch Gardens has many weekend events throughout the summer. If you get a chance, spend a day there. You might even find a friend to take home.