food IS a theme park
We’re suckers for original Disneyland locales, and The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland is one of those that totally steals our hearts. A mainstay of the park since day one, there’s plenty of lore about this now-quick service spot, including the presence of Walt’s personal box — at the right-most corner of the restaurant’s balcony — which is now open to the public.
The Golden Horseshoe
Zocalo Park in Disneyland’s Frontierland has honored Dia de Los Muertos for some time now, featuring specialty displays and even snacks in honor of the annual Mexican celebration.
Dia de los Muertos Krispy Rice Treats
But things have gotten a lot bigger and better. Because this year’s Disneyland celebration extends to Disney California Adventure! Running now through November 2nd, the all-new Plaza de la Familia seasonal celebration offers live music and entertainment, interactive activities, and special decorations to enjoy. [Read more…]
We are back with another look at some of the Marketplace Booths that will be featured at the 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival!
Today, we are visiting two more of our favorite spots — one Old World, and one New!
Both the Belgium Booth and the Brazil Booth epitomize one of this year’s biggest themes. We can’t wait to Taste Our Way Around the World with lots of returning favorites, and some new flavors as well.
Let’s take a look at what these two Marketplaces will be offering guests in 2014, starting September 19th.
The Belgium Marketplace Booth offers Food and Wine Festival guests the best of both worlds. We love the interesting food options here. But it’s also a primo stop on your Brews Around the World Tour as well!
Belgium Marketplace Booth
The Belgium Booth first debuted at the festival in 2010, and has become a mainstay since then. After all, who can resist indulging in a sweet or savory Belgian Waffle?
There are many returning favorites here this year, but we’re happy to say that we see some fun additions as well.
The Potato and Leek Waffle was one of our Best of the Fest Favorites in 2013, so I’m thrilled that it’s returning! This year, the flavors are amped up a bit as the Beef topping the savory waffle is braised in Beer!
Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef
After such a hearty dish, we definitely recommend that you give one of the dessert waffles a try. You can’t go wrong with Belgian Waffle topped with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream.
Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream
But if you’d rather have a fruit topping, no worries. Try the Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream instead.
Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream
If you prefer a dessert that you can drink, you’ll be happy to know that the [Read more…]
I’m gonna be honest. On my last few trips to La Hacienda de San Angel, the cost just wasn’t worth the experience.
But on this visit, things were a bit different. Maybe it’s because I ordered the things I was confident in, or maybe it’s because I had a killer window table and view of IllumiNations. Or maybe it was just the margaritas. (But I’m pretty sure it was the soup. More to come on that.)
But no matter how it happened, this was a night to remember! An expensive night to remember, but a night to remember nonetheless.
Wanna hear about it??
Start your adventure by heading into Epcot’s World Showcase and swing by the Mexico pavilion. Step up to the archway bearing this sign at the entrance, and you’ll have found the check-in podium. It’s hard to miss.
La Hacienda Sign
Once inside, you’ll receive a pager and take a seat in the waiting area if there’s one available. We were dining on a steamy day and would have appreciated a larger place to hang out. Our table wasn’t quite ready when we arrived, but that was probably due to the fact that we asked for a spot by the window.
We weren’t in a hurry, however. So taking a load off was kind of nice. We’d made a 7:30 reservation with the hopes of seeing the 9:00 fireworks, so we knew we had some time to kill. And we were seated soon enough.
One thing that La Hacienda got right straight from the beginning is the ambiance. Simply put, this is a gorgeous restaurant.
Inside the Restaurant
The soaring ceilings, heavy furniture, and warm-colored tile floors give a homey feeling to the spot, which totally makes sense. This is La Hacienda, after all. You’re dining in a residence-turned-restaurant. (For more of the backstory, you can see one of my earlier reviews.)
The whimsical hanging lights — both the punched metal star sconces and the paper lanterns — are just beautiful! As the light wanes, they become even more breathtaking, lighting the space with a candlelight-like glow.
Another View of the One of the Dining Rooms
Seating is a combination of booths and tables with chairs.
Seating
Booths line the center of the room, as you can see from an earlier pic. But some of my favorite booth seating is elevated and along the back wall. This is a cozy way to enjoy the view of World Showcase.
Booth Seating
And speaking of the view…here it is! As I mentioned, we waiting for a little while to get this window-side table. And it was totally worth it. Check out our stellar [Read more…]
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