La Hacienda de San Angel Grand Opening and Food Pictures

Living in Texas, I don’t have the opportunity to attend the openings of Disney’s restaurants; but boy did I get lucky on this one! Thank you to the WDW Today Podcast for allowing me to publish pics from their coverage. Check out their twitter stream to see more great pics from the Grand Opening at Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel!

Restaurant Info
The backstory behind La Hacienda de San Angel is that a Mexican family restored an old hacienda and wanted to open it to guests and serve food. The beautiful artwork and pottery throughout the hacienda are meant to be created by the house’s artistic owner. La Cantina de San Angel, the counter-service restaurant outside of the Hacienda, is part of the story as well — it was supposedly created to serve the overflow from the hacienda!

La Hacienda will be serving dinner from 4pm each night and will offer an incredible view of the Illuminations fireworks. During the day, it will serve as indoor seating for La Cantina de San Angel, which will serve lunch and dinner daily.

Main dining room

Just a reminder, La Hacienda de San Angel is now open for business for walk-in guests. You can also make reservations for dates after October 15th via Disney’s reservations system! You can see the the La Hacienda de San Angel Menu here. You can see La Cantina de San Angel’s menu here!

Grand Opening Celebration
Here are some incredible pictures from the Grand Opening Celebration:

Mickey and Donald Helped with the Ribbon Cutting

Margarita Bar

Tequila Scorpion

Shrimp Taco

More photos after the jump! [Read more…]

La Hacienda de San Angel Menu

By AJ 13 Comments

Epcot’s newest restaurant has an equally new — and incredible looking — menu!

Featuring classics like queso fundido and churros coupled with market-fresh entrees like the Parrillada Del Mar — Mixed grill of mahi mahi, shrimp, and scallops — and the Arrachera — a 6 oz flank steak — guests will find a new and different concept of Mexican dining than has been seen in Epcot before.

One thing I do notice about the menu is that prices are quite high as a general rule. With entrees starting at $21, you might be better off getting two appetizers if you’re budget dining.

To see the full La Hacienda de San Angel menu, click here. See La Hacienda de San Angel food photos here.

The restaurant will be open for walk-ins from September 16th through October 15th. Guests can now make La Hacienda de San Angel reservations for dates after October 15th via Disneyworld.com’s dining reservations website and 407-WDW-DINE.

For more details about La Hacienda de San Angel, see our La Hacienda de San Angel info page.

New La Cantina de San Angel Menu

By AJ 1 Comment

The newest counter service menu in Disney World today is the Cantina de San Angel menu in Epcot’s Mexico! Featuring favorites like empanadas, tacos, paletas, and churros, there’s something for everyone!

Check out the La Cantina de San Angel menu here!

La Hacienda de San Angel Reservations Now Open

By AJ 5 Comments

Reservations are now available for Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel restaurant in the Mexico pavilion.

The restaurant will be walk-up only through October 15th, so reservations are only available after that date.

To see more information about the restaurant, including food photos, menus, and more, see our La Hacienda de San Angel info page.

Disney Dining Reservations Go Mobile

By AJ 17 Comments

THANK GOODNESS! The Disney Restaurant Reservations system is now available in an easy-to-use mobile format for your smartphones (iphone and droid versions are currently working; blackberry is coming soon).

iPhone Screen Shot of Moblie Reservations System

Note: this is not an App that you have to download. Disney’s just made it easier to navigate the reservations system on your phone by creating a mobile version of the current system.

What does this mean for you? Now you can search for an available restaurant reservation by date, time, restaurant, theme park, cuisine, hotel, and more quickly and easily from your phone — no matter where you are. Standing in line at the [Read more…]

Countdown to Epcot Food and Wine Festival: Australia, Brazil, and Canada

By AJ 9 Comments

The time is upon us again, my friends! The Epcot Food and Wine Festival will begin in just a couple of weeks, and I’ve decided to share my excitement by counting down to the Festival with a look at the International Marketplace booths that will be located around the World Showcase Lagoon!

For those who haven’t had the chance to go to the Festival, one of my favorite parts are the dozens of International Marketplaces — little booths, or kiosks, set up that represent a specific country or region. Each booth offers a short menu of tasting plates and drinks from the country or region represented. These tasting items cost anywhere from $2-$7, so they’re a great way to enjoy the Festival without breaking the bank.

Today, I’m going to highlight the representative menus from Australia, Brazil, and Canada!

Grilled Lamb Chop, Red Wine Sauce, Murray River Sea Salt as served at Food and Wine Fest

Australia

This year, Australia is highlighting a couple of the same items as they did last year, but they’re also bringing in an interesting dessert! Here’s the full menu for Australia:

Seared Barramundi with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes,Arugula, and Lemon Oil
Grilled Lamb Chop with Roasted Potato Salad and Red Wine Reduction (photo below from Tables in Wonderland 2010 Food and Wine Festival Preview)
Lamington (sponge cake dipped in chocolate)
Rosemount Traminer Riesling
Marquis Philips, Shiraz
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet
Nugan Estate Riverina Chardonnay

I can highly recommend the Grilled Lamb Chop — it was one of my favorite festival items last year!

This year, the Australia booth will be located right between Morocco and Japan, right next to the Food and Wine Festival Merchandise tent.

Click here to see our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Australia Booth Page with Photos.

Pork Skewer with Farofa

Brazil

Brazil returned to the Festival in 2009 with an incredible menu, and they’re bringing most of it back this year! Here’s the full 2010 menu:

Grilled Pork Skewer with Farofa
Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime
Leblon Frozen Caipirinha

I wasn’t too impressed with the grilled pork skewer last year, but heard great things about the shrimp stew!

This year, the Brazil booth is located right at the entrance to the World Showcase Promenade as coming from Future World, directly across the lagoon from the American Adventure pavilion.

Click here to see our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Brazil Booth page with photos.

Polenta and Sausage Appetizer -- as served in the restaurant

Canada

Always a favorite booth among Food and Wine Festival guests, Canada offers some dedicated standards (cheddar cheese soup) as well as new favorites (sausage and corn polenta and nanaimo bars). Here’s the full 2010 menu:

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
Maple-Glazed Salmon with Lentil Salad
Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Sweet Corn Polenta
Nanaimo Bar
Moosehead Beer
Vidal Icewine
Chateau De Charmes Riesling
St. David’s Bench Vineyard Merlot

I am eagerly awaiting a sample of the nanaimo bars! These decadent goodies aren’t very well known in the states, but they are truly outstanding (assuming they don’t give you a heart attack mid-bite!). The sausage and sweet corn polenta is an exciting prospect as well; it’s a dish I adore at Le Cellier, Epcot’s Canadian table-service restaurant.

Click here to see our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Canada Booth page with photos.

Stay tuned for more booth highlights as we continue to count down to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

To see the rest of the booths, including full menus and photos when available, check out our Epcot Food and Wine Festival International Marketplace Booth Menus and Photos Guide. For more information on the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, check out our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Index.

What booth are you most excited about visiting at this year’s Festival? Let us know in the comments section below!

Disney Online Introduces “Muppets Kitchen” with Cat Cora and “Hasty Tasty”

By AJ 2 Comments

Disney and food, two of my favorite things, are teaming up again in two new online series!!

“The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora” on Disney.com
Join the Muppets and Cat Cora for some hilarious short films about some crazy cooking! Cat teams up with your favorite Muppets and a few new ones, including Angelo, Cat’s cooking partner!

“Muppets Kitchen” episodes will offer a variety of entertaining themes including “Game Day,” “Movie Night,” “Slumber Party,” “World’s Biggest Sandwich,” “Breakfast Isn’t Just Breakfast Anymore” and “Birthday Cat-astrophe.”

“Hasty Tasty Cooking Tips with Cat Cora and the Muppets” on Disney Family.com
Hasty Tasty was created specifically for moms, offering recipes, step-by-step cooking tips and fun family-time ideas. It will feature short episodes that focus on giving moms access to [Read more…]

Disney Food Pics of the Week: “Don’t Eat That Yet!”

By AJ 4 Comments

Every amateur food photographer (and their families and loved ones) are very familiar with the phrase, “Wait! Don’t eat that yet!” 🙂 Our meals get cold, we get odd looks as we position our food as close to the natural light as possible (not a comfortable task when your table isn’t by the window…), and our family and friends roll their eyes more often than not, but that’s the price we pay for a hobby!

Here are a few fun pics that show that art and style can follow an eager first bite or use a family member anticipating their dish as a fun background!

First, we begin with a favorite warm weather treat — the Mickey Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwich! Photographer: JLovely

This gorgeous shot offers an inside peek into a cult favorite — the sweet cream cheese pretzels found in Disney parks! Photographer: Chrissy Field

I love this pic, as Kristen’s husband is anxiously awaiting his first bite of dessert at Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in Disney World! Photographer: Kristen Kirk VanTassle

As always, thank you to the photographers who have submitted these photos to the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza on Flickr! Come join us!

Lunch at Epcot’s Tangierine Cafe

By AJ 19 Comments

Disney World’s Tangierine Cafe (like “Tangier,” Morocco; get it?) is a guest favorite for two reasons: consistent quality and a unique menu. While many think that Disney counter-service (fast food) is all burgers and pizzas, Disney fans know that there’s a lot more beneath the greasy exterior!

Atmosphere
This is easily one of the most beautiful quick-service restaurants in all of Disney World. Being part of Epcot’s Morocco pavilion means that the architecture and design of the restaurant was under the guidance of the King of Morocco; intricate tiling and decor is all authentic Moroccan design.

Tangierine Cafe ordering area and dining room

View from indoor table

Gorgeous Moroccan chandeliers, zellige tiling along the counters and serving areas, plaster carvings lining the walls, and intricate iron work are all components to the design here — it’s worth it to just pop in, get a mint tea, and relax while taking in the incredible surroundings. And while there is seating indoors, you might enjoy [Read more…]

Food Pictures from La Hacienda de San Angel

By AJ 8 Comments

The Orlando Sentinel has an incredible group of food and decor photos from Epcot’s new La Hacienda de San Angel, a casual dining Mexican restaurant that will be opening for walk-ins on Thursday of this week!

Here’s the Parillada La Hacienda, a sampler dish featuring chicken, flank steak and other appetizers; and the shrimp tacos. But this is just a “taste” of the 21-photo slide show over on the Orlando Sentinel’s website!

Parillada La Hacienda

Shrimp Tacos

The Sentinel also has a great interview with Richard Debler of San Angel Inn, LLC, the company that owns both San Angel Inn and La Hacienda de San Angel. According to the interview, the backstory of the restaurant revolves around the Hacienda being a residential home that’s been turned into a restaurant:

As guests enter they may notice that the small room to the right is the former pantry and the first room the former dining room of the home. Next they enter the grand salon. And it soon it becomes clear that the woman of the house was an artist. A kiln is obvious to one side and the handcrafted decor showcases the “owners” personal tastes and talent.

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