ChildAtHeart82
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2010
- Messages
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I'm in! 
Looking forward to all of your reviews.
Looking forward to all of your reviews.
Flowers, fun, and FOOD! DxDDP 3/2 to 3/8
- Thread starter Colleen27
- Start date
Colleen27
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
- Messages
- 24,190
The next morning we were off to Studios to run the TSM dash, so we didn't take the time for food before heading to the park. After getting our FPs we were all ready for a little something to eat. We headed to Starring Rolls to use up a few snack credits for a quick bite.
Blueberry muffins for myself, DM, and DD2.
And a cinnamon roll for DD9, who was not willing to wait for me to take a pic.
And a couple of drinks to share around.
The muffins were the best we had all week, and as you'll see as the report goes on DD2 developed quite a muffin habit. The cinnamon roll was good but not hot/gooey like the ones from Main Street Bakery used to be. Still, nice and fresh and sweet though.
Cost if paying OOP - $16.30 (5 snack credits)
For lunch, we had an early ADR for Hollywood Brown Derby which looked from the menu to be the most appealing among a rather unappealing batch of restaurants at Studios. DH & the kids had a so-so lunch here on the last trip but I was sick that day and missed it, so I wanted to give it a try for myself.
We checked in a few minutes late for our 11:30 ADR, but that was okay because they didn't start seating people until 11:40. The restaurant was completely empty when we were seated, though there was a bit of a backlog in the lobby and it filled quickly.
The restaurant itself is very pretty in an understated way, and we enjoyed checking out the sketches on the walls while waiting for our waitress.
Our waitress was Carmen, who was very friendly and took her time explaining the menu and making a few recommendations. Her personality was better than her service, however. My mother ordered an iced tea but also requested a glass of water; the drink order came out after just a short wait, but it took three more requests to get that glass of water.
Service throughout the meal was epically slow, and we watched tables in other servers sections seated after us, eat all three courses, and leave well before us. This was the only meal that I felt really took much too long for what it was, which was a surprise because I've read a lot of reports of the Brown Derby being too rushed for it's signature status.
DM had the scallop appetizer, which I failed to get a picture of. It is described as "seared day boat scallop with black bean-corn pudding and mange-papaya salsa". It was okay but nothing all that special, and DD2 ate more of it than DM did.
I ordered the Cobb salad, which truthfully was the main reason Brown Derby sounded good to me.
It didn't disappoint. That is a lovely blend of flavors with just the right amount of tangy blue cheese and a light dressing that doesn't overwhelm the other tastes. It was also plenty to share, and DM liked this much better than she did her own choice.
For an entree, DM chose the pork chop.
"Sterling Silver Pork Chop topped with Smoked Gouda and Apricot Preserve served over Napa Cabbage, Bacon, and Potato Hash with Apple Cider Jus"
The combination of flavors in this dish was very nice, but the pork chop was quite tough even though my mother ordered it medium as Carmen suggested. DM asked for the recipe and has decided to try this at home, because she felt that with a better chop it would have been an excellent dish. As it was, the toughness of the meat really detracted from the rest of the preparation.
Since we were having dinner at Flying Fish that evening, I decided to skip the grouper and go with something rather unusual for me - the chicken.
"Spit-roasted Half Chicken Marinated with Rosemary and Juniper, Black and White Barley, Apple Chutney, and a Natural Chicken Reduction
This choice was more for DD9 than for myself, because I'd filled up on salad and really would have been fine skipping straight to dessert. DD9 and DD2 shared the dark meat from my chicken, while I had just a little of the white meat and the accompaniments. The meat was nicely cooked, very moist, and the apple chutney along with the barley was good complement to the meat.
While on the subject of DD9 I have to note that Brown Derby has the worst kids selections of any of the signature restaurants, very much like the menu you find at the one credit restaurants - chicken soup or carrot sticks appetizer, grilled cheese, hot dog, meaty macaroni entrees. Usually the signature restaurants have better kids' choices than that, and DD9 was disappointed in the menu here. She ordered the carrot sticks and grilled cheese, but even DD2 preferred the adult options here so between the two they only picked at the kids meal. We took half the grilled cheese to go for her to snack on in the stroller later.
For dessert, I went with the signature grapefruit cake.
"Grapefruit CakeLight Layers of Yellow Cake with fresh Grapefruit-Cream Cheese Icing"
This was a pretty dessert, but too tart to eat! None of us cared for it, and we all enjoy grapefruit in other things. After DD9 dug into her dessert I did figure out what the grapefruit cake is lacking - paired with a bit of vanilla ice cream it was wonderful. It was just way too tart on its own.
DM ordered the apple cheesecake.
"Caramelized Granny Smith Cheesecake with a Cabernet Apple Crisp and Cranberry Raisin Butter Sauce"
This was very good, just the right blend of creamy-sweet cheesecake and tart green apples. But it does lead me to another minor criticism of the Brown Derby; most signature restaurants pride themselves on seasonal menus, but this menu all but screamed "fall" with the squash soup and apple accents throughout and in fact hasn't changed in many months. Not a major issue, but a clear illustration of how the Brown Derby falls short of the bar set by the resort signatures, and one reason among many that I can't see using two credits to go back there.
DD9 was glad to see that at least the dessert menu was a little better than the one credit restaurants. There's still the ubiquitous fruit cup and yogurt parfait, but there is also this.
"Hidden Treasures - Vanilla Ice Cream, Oreo Cookie Crumbles, Gummy Snakes, and a Toll House Cookie"
It doesn't look like much, but both girls really enjoyed all the goodies hiding underneath that cookie. Dessert was definitely the highlight of the kids menu for them.
All in all this isn't an experience I plan to repeat. From the slow service - the meal from check in to walking out took over 2 hours, longer even than some of our resort signature dinners - to the stale, not-really-seasonal adult menu and the not-quite-signature kids menu, nothing about this meal made it worth two credits or the time we spent on it. I'm going to try my hand at the Cobb salad at home this weekend, though, because that part of the meal I did very much enjoy.
Cost if paying OOP - $128.21
Total DxDDP value so far - $478.49
Blueberry muffins for myself, DM, and DD2.
And a cinnamon roll for DD9, who was not willing to wait for me to take a pic.
And a couple of drinks to share around.
The muffins were the best we had all week, and as you'll see as the report goes on DD2 developed quite a muffin habit. The cinnamon roll was good but not hot/gooey like the ones from Main Street Bakery used to be. Still, nice and fresh and sweet though.
Cost if paying OOP - $16.30 (5 snack credits)
For lunch, we had an early ADR for Hollywood Brown Derby which looked from the menu to be the most appealing among a rather unappealing batch of restaurants at Studios. DH & the kids had a so-so lunch here on the last trip but I was sick that day and missed it, so I wanted to give it a try for myself.
We checked in a few minutes late for our 11:30 ADR, but that was okay because they didn't start seating people until 11:40. The restaurant was completely empty when we were seated, though there was a bit of a backlog in the lobby and it filled quickly.
The restaurant itself is very pretty in an understated way, and we enjoyed checking out the sketches on the walls while waiting for our waitress.
Our waitress was Carmen, who was very friendly and took her time explaining the menu and making a few recommendations. Her personality was better than her service, however. My mother ordered an iced tea but also requested a glass of water; the drink order came out after just a short wait, but it took three more requests to get that glass of water.
Service throughout the meal was epically slow, and we watched tables in other servers sections seated after us, eat all three courses, and leave well before us. This was the only meal that I felt really took much too long for what it was, which was a surprise because I've read a lot of reports of the Brown Derby being too rushed for it's signature status.
DM had the scallop appetizer, which I failed to get a picture of. It is described as "seared day boat scallop with black bean-corn pudding and mange-papaya salsa". It was okay but nothing all that special, and DD2 ate more of it than DM did.
I ordered the Cobb salad, which truthfully was the main reason Brown Derby sounded good to me.
It didn't disappoint. That is a lovely blend of flavors with just the right amount of tangy blue cheese and a light dressing that doesn't overwhelm the other tastes. It was also plenty to share, and DM liked this much better than she did her own choice.
For an entree, DM chose the pork chop.
"Sterling Silver Pork Chop topped with Smoked Gouda and Apricot Preserve served over Napa Cabbage, Bacon, and Potato Hash with Apple Cider Jus"
The combination of flavors in this dish was very nice, but the pork chop was quite tough even though my mother ordered it medium as Carmen suggested. DM asked for the recipe and has decided to try this at home, because she felt that with a better chop it would have been an excellent dish. As it was, the toughness of the meat really detracted from the rest of the preparation.
Since we were having dinner at Flying Fish that evening, I decided to skip the grouper and go with something rather unusual for me - the chicken.
"Spit-roasted Half Chicken Marinated with Rosemary and Juniper, Black and White Barley, Apple Chutney, and a Natural Chicken Reduction
This choice was more for DD9 than for myself, because I'd filled up on salad and really would have been fine skipping straight to dessert. DD9 and DD2 shared the dark meat from my chicken, while I had just a little of the white meat and the accompaniments. The meat was nicely cooked, very moist, and the apple chutney along with the barley was good complement to the meat.
While on the subject of DD9 I have to note that Brown Derby has the worst kids selections of any of the signature restaurants, very much like the menu you find at the one credit restaurants - chicken soup or carrot sticks appetizer, grilled cheese, hot dog, meaty macaroni entrees. Usually the signature restaurants have better kids' choices than that, and DD9 was disappointed in the menu here. She ordered the carrot sticks and grilled cheese, but even DD2 preferred the adult options here so between the two they only picked at the kids meal. We took half the grilled cheese to go for her to snack on in the stroller later.
For dessert, I went with the signature grapefruit cake.
"Grapefruit CakeLight Layers of Yellow Cake with fresh Grapefruit-Cream Cheese Icing"
This was a pretty dessert, but too tart to eat! None of us cared for it, and we all enjoy grapefruit in other things. After DD9 dug into her dessert I did figure out what the grapefruit cake is lacking - paired with a bit of vanilla ice cream it was wonderful. It was just way too tart on its own.
DM ordered the apple cheesecake.
"Caramelized Granny Smith Cheesecake with a Cabernet Apple Crisp and Cranberry Raisin Butter Sauce"
This was very good, just the right blend of creamy-sweet cheesecake and tart green apples. But it does lead me to another minor criticism of the Brown Derby; most signature restaurants pride themselves on seasonal menus, but this menu all but screamed "fall" with the squash soup and apple accents throughout and in fact hasn't changed in many months. Not a major issue, but a clear illustration of how the Brown Derby falls short of the bar set by the resort signatures, and one reason among many that I can't see using two credits to go back there.
DD9 was glad to see that at least the dessert menu was a little better than the one credit restaurants. There's still the ubiquitous fruit cup and yogurt parfait, but there is also this.
"Hidden Treasures - Vanilla Ice Cream, Oreo Cookie Crumbles, Gummy Snakes, and a Toll House Cookie"
It doesn't look like much, but both girls really enjoyed all the goodies hiding underneath that cookie. Dessert was definitely the highlight of the kids menu for them.
All in all this isn't an experience I plan to repeat. From the slow service - the meal from check in to walking out took over 2 hours, longer even than some of our resort signature dinners - to the stale, not-really-seasonal adult menu and the not-quite-signature kids menu, nothing about this meal made it worth two credits or the time we spent on it. I'm going to try my hand at the Cobb salad at home this weekend, though, because that part of the meal I did very much enjoy.
Cost if paying OOP - $128.21
Total DxDDP value so far - $478.49
Colleen27
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
- Messages
- 24,190
As out day at Studios wound down, it was time for the dinner I was most looking forward to on this trip...
I have been wanting to fit this one in for a long time, but my husband has a serious fish allergy and with as few options as there are for him on the menu it always ends up bumped in favor of other options. So when we decided to plan a girls' only trip this was at the top of my must-do dining list!
We checked in about 10 minutes late thanks to my grossly underestimating how very slow the Friendship boats really are, but were still seated quickly. As in, barely had time to walk over to where the menus are posted before the pager was buzzing.
Our ADR was early and the restaurant was still about half-empty and gearing up for the evening. We were seated in a cozy corner booth in a small alcove past the open kitchen. The booth was nice for the girls, but it meant we didn't have much of a view of the restaurant's decor to keep them amused.
I just loved the light fixture over our table.
Our server was David, who was attentive and prompt but not especially friendly or chatty. He brought our iced teas (and water, without being asked once much less three times!
) quickly and we were ready to order. This was another of those meals where I knew walking in exactly what I was going to order, so I barely even had to look at the menu.
For my appetizer I ordered the tuna tartare.
"Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Crispy Tempura Tuna-Vegetable Sushi Roll,
Hijiki and Wakame Seaweed, Yuzu Tobiko, and Wasabi Foam, with Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce"
This was excellent. The tuna was fresh and cool, with just a tiny hint of spiciness in the wasabi foam, and the tempura-friend roll added a nice dimension of texture to the whole package. The sweet & spicy sauce was the perfect finisher, with a stronger flavor than the other elements that complemented the more subtle tastes without overwhelming them. It was every bit as good as I expected and then some.
My mother ordered her "usual" at seafood restaurants, the crab cake.
"Our Signature Flying Fish Café Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade"
This was the best crab cake of the trip, hands down. The remoulade was spicier than either of us expected, but not overly so. It had just enough heat to be the ideal pairing with the sweet crabmeat, and the crab cake itself was all meat with virtually no filled, browned to a perfect crust without being even a tiny bit overdone.
DD9 pretty much passed her entire kids meal to DD2 at this one, because she knew she wanted to share with us. They settled on the house salad to start.
This was just a basic salad, but my girls always enjoy it when the kids' salad is more than just lettuce with cherry tomatoes for color, and this had a good amount of other veggies along with croutons and a drizzle of ranch dressing.
My entree was also a foregone conclusion. I'd seen so many reviews of this dish here on the DIS that I had to try it myself.
"Our Signature Flying Fish Café Potato-wrapped Red Snapper Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace, Red Wine, and Cassis Butter Reduction"
This was amazing, heavenly, wonderful. Words do not do it justice, seriously. The potato wrap that I had such a hard time imagining is a light, chip-thin, slightly crisp layer of potato wrapped around a perfectly moist and flaky piece of fish. The fish is presented over a creamy leek fondue, all surrounded by a deliciously rich red wine-butter sauce. Reading the description it seems like the strong flavors of the fondue and sauce would overwhelm the lighter taste of the fish, but somehow each of the elements blends perfectly with the others to make the most delightful, unusual dish I have had in recent memory.
My mother ordered another "usual" for her - the scallops.
"Oak-grilled Maine Diver Scallops, Celery Root, Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms, Vermont Mascarpone, and Pecorino- laced Risotto di Carnarolli
with Jamon Serrano Cracklins‟
This was DM's favorite entree of the trip. The sweet, fresh scallops paired well with the creamy risotto and the serrano ham "cracklins" added an unexpected and enjoyable element of texture and complexity. But I was so enraptured with my own dish that I can't really do justice to this one in a review; I had half a scallop over a spoonful of risotto and then dug back into my snapper.
DD9 ate mostly from the adult plates, taking about 1/5 of my snapper and one of DM's scallops. So she ordered the kids' pasta option for DD2, who really likes noodles. I didn't get a picture, but it was just standard Mickey-shaped pasta with marinara sauce. DD2 loved it and nearly polished off the whole bowl.
I wasn't all that interested in dessert, so I offered DD9 the adult dessert menu to choose from. She picked the walnut-crusted cheesecake, which is their no-sugar-added dessert.
I can't find the current version on any online menus for an accurate description, but it was strawberry-themed (the online menus have either the fall-apple version or the winter-citrus version - the cheesecake is the same but the fruit accents change).
This was surprisingly good. I really enjoyed the walnuts in place of a crust, and the slightly tart strawberry and currant compote was a nice accompaniment to the creamy cheesecake. You couldn't even tell that it was no-sugar-added.
DM ordered the Cafe's signature dessert.
"Our Signature Flying Fish Café Caramelized Banana Napoleon -Phyllo, Banana Mousse, Crème Caramel, Exotic Fruit Coulis, and Bitter Chocolate"
I didn't sample this dish because I don't care for banana desserts and I was too full to have any desire to try something new. My mother really enjoyed it, and was very impressed by the little chocolate accent which had the restaurant name stamped along its length in gold.
For the kids' dessert, we ordered the fondue for DD2.
"Sorcerer Mickeys Milk Chocolate Cauldron - Fun Skewer of Fudge Brownie, Marshmallow, Strawberry, and Angel Food Cake"
The signature restaurant kids' desserts are always so much better than the one credit restaurants! The girls barely touched the chocolate dip, but they were thrilled with the assortment of sweets all presented on a Mickey straw (and what happened to those, by the way? this was the only one we saw all week!). DD2 especially liked the gummy worm wrapped around the skewer and the Mickey head sprinkles on the plate.
Flying Fish has definitely earned itself a place on our must-do list for the next trip. DH will just have to tough it out and order the steak
, because DD9 and I are in complete agreement that we have to take DS13 there. It was without a doubt one of the best meals of the trip, tied for absolute best with a dinner still to come.
Cost if paying OOP - $152.32
Total DxDDP value so far - $631.11
I have been wanting to fit this one in for a long time, but my husband has a serious fish allergy and with as few options as there are for him on the menu it always ends up bumped in favor of other options. So when we decided to plan a girls' only trip this was at the top of my must-do dining list!
We checked in about 10 minutes late thanks to my grossly underestimating how very slow the Friendship boats really are, but were still seated quickly. As in, barely had time to walk over to where the menus are posted before the pager was buzzing.
Our ADR was early and the restaurant was still about half-empty and gearing up for the evening. We were seated in a cozy corner booth in a small alcove past the open kitchen. The booth was nice for the girls, but it meant we didn't have much of a view of the restaurant's decor to keep them amused.
I just loved the light fixture over our table.
Our server was David, who was attentive and prompt but not especially friendly or chatty. He brought our iced teas (and water, without being asked once much less three times!
) quickly and we were ready to order. This was another of those meals where I knew walking in exactly what I was going to order, so I barely even had to look at the menu.For my appetizer I ordered the tuna tartare.
"Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Crispy Tempura Tuna-Vegetable Sushi Roll,
Hijiki and Wakame Seaweed, Yuzu Tobiko, and Wasabi Foam, with Sweet-and-Spicy Sauce"
This was excellent. The tuna was fresh and cool, with just a tiny hint of spiciness in the wasabi foam, and the tempura-friend roll added a nice dimension of texture to the whole package. The sweet & spicy sauce was the perfect finisher, with a stronger flavor than the other elements that complemented the more subtle tastes without overwhelming them. It was every bit as good as I expected and then some.
My mother ordered her "usual" at seafood restaurants, the crab cake.
"Our Signature Flying Fish Café Crispy Maine Coast Jonah Crab Cake Savory Vegetable Slaw, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Ancho Chile Rémoulade"
This was the best crab cake of the trip, hands down. The remoulade was spicier than either of us expected, but not overly so. It had just enough heat to be the ideal pairing with the sweet crabmeat, and the crab cake itself was all meat with virtually no filled, browned to a perfect crust without being even a tiny bit overdone.
DD9 pretty much passed her entire kids meal to DD2 at this one, because she knew she wanted to share with us. They settled on the house salad to start.
This was just a basic salad, but my girls always enjoy it when the kids' salad is more than just lettuce with cherry tomatoes for color, and this had a good amount of other veggies along with croutons and a drizzle of ranch dressing.
My entree was also a foregone conclusion. I'd seen so many reviews of this dish here on the DIS that I had to try it myself.
"Our Signature Flying Fish Café Potato-wrapped Red Snapper Leek Fondue with a Veal Glace, Red Wine, and Cassis Butter Reduction"
This was amazing, heavenly, wonderful. Words do not do it justice, seriously. The potato wrap that I had such a hard time imagining is a light, chip-thin, slightly crisp layer of potato wrapped around a perfectly moist and flaky piece of fish. The fish is presented over a creamy leek fondue, all surrounded by a deliciously rich red wine-butter sauce. Reading the description it seems like the strong flavors of the fondue and sauce would overwhelm the lighter taste of the fish, but somehow each of the elements blends perfectly with the others to make the most delightful, unusual dish I have had in recent memory.
My mother ordered another "usual" for her - the scallops.
"Oak-grilled Maine Diver Scallops, Celery Root, Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms, Vermont Mascarpone, and Pecorino- laced Risotto di Carnarolli
with Jamon Serrano Cracklins‟
This was DM's favorite entree of the trip. The sweet, fresh scallops paired well with the creamy risotto and the serrano ham "cracklins" added an unexpected and enjoyable element of texture and complexity. But I was so enraptured with my own dish that I can't really do justice to this one in a review; I had half a scallop over a spoonful of risotto and then dug back into my snapper.
DD9 ate mostly from the adult plates, taking about 1/5 of my snapper and one of DM's scallops. So she ordered the kids' pasta option for DD2, who really likes noodles. I didn't get a picture, but it was just standard Mickey-shaped pasta with marinara sauce. DD2 loved it and nearly polished off the whole bowl.
I wasn't all that interested in dessert, so I offered DD9 the adult dessert menu to choose from. She picked the walnut-crusted cheesecake, which is their no-sugar-added dessert.
I can't find the current version on any online menus for an accurate description, but it was strawberry-themed (the online menus have either the fall-apple version or the winter-citrus version - the cheesecake is the same but the fruit accents change).
This was surprisingly good. I really enjoyed the walnuts in place of a crust, and the slightly tart strawberry and currant compote was a nice accompaniment to the creamy cheesecake. You couldn't even tell that it was no-sugar-added.
DM ordered the Cafe's signature dessert.
"Our Signature Flying Fish Café Caramelized Banana Napoleon -Phyllo, Banana Mousse, Crème Caramel, Exotic Fruit Coulis, and Bitter Chocolate"
I didn't sample this dish because I don't care for banana desserts and I was too full to have any desire to try something new. My mother really enjoyed it, and was very impressed by the little chocolate accent which had the restaurant name stamped along its length in gold.
For the kids' dessert, we ordered the fondue for DD2.
"Sorcerer Mickeys Milk Chocolate Cauldron - Fun Skewer of Fudge Brownie, Marshmallow, Strawberry, and Angel Food Cake"
The signature restaurant kids' desserts are always so much better than the one credit restaurants! The girls barely touched the chocolate dip, but they were thrilled with the assortment of sweets all presented on a Mickey straw (and what happened to those, by the way? this was the only one we saw all week!). DD2 especially liked the gummy worm wrapped around the skewer and the Mickey head sprinkles on the plate.
Flying Fish has definitely earned itself a place on our must-do list for the next trip. DH will just have to tough it out and order the steak
, because DD9 and I are in complete agreement that we have to take DS13 there. It was without a doubt one of the best meals of the trip, tied for absolute best with a dinner still to come. Cost if paying OOP - $152.32
Total DxDDP value so far - $631.11
lovesdumbo
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2003
- Messages
- 13,407
Enjoyed your Flying Fish review! I've been 3 times and have had the snapper, scallops, and steak. Your DH will love the steak just as much as you loved your fish!
I can't wait to return in May for my birthday trip with 2 friends. I am also planning a 2 week family trip in August and am thinking about booking 2 Flying Fish ADRs for that trip.
I can't wait to return in May for my birthday trip with 2 friends. I am also planning a 2 week family trip in August and am thinking about booking 2 Flying Fish ADRs for that trip.
lilandvisma
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,245
FF looks soooo incredible! I can't wait until our ADR there in a couple of weeks I plan on ordering the snapper as well it just sounds sooo fantastic!
I plan on ordering the snapper as well it just sounds sooo fantastic!
serendipity
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2006
- Messages
- 1,640
Love your dining report. I have also always wanted to try Flying Fish and somehow we never seem to make it! Your review makes me want to shuffle my dining around- again!
Colleen27
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
- Messages
- 24,190
This was a meal chosen entirely for Remy. None of us are huge fans of French food and the menu wasn't all that thrilling, but the girls really wanted to see Remy so I made the ADR.
We checked in right on time for our noon ADR and had a little longer wait to be seated than we'd had most places. Not that it was long - just 10 min or so - but longer than most and felt even longer still because it was a very warm day and the Chefs waiting area is outside.
Our server was Arnaud from Paris and he was very French. His thick accent made him a bit difficult to understand in the noisy restaurant but his service was excellent. We were seated at a table in the glassed-in area at the front of the restaurant, but up against the half-wall of the main part of the dining room. It was a nice location except for one thing - DD9 had a bit of a headache (her own fault and mine - we both forgot to grab her clip-on sunglasses for her glasses, so she was switching between my plain old sunglasses/blurry vision and squinting against the sun all morning) and the bright room didn't help any. She actually put her head down to rest for part of the meal and was feeling much more herself by the time lunch was over.
Because she wasn't feeling great, she was less adventurous than usual (and she's the pickiest of my three kids to start with). Nothing on the kids' appetizer menu sounded good, so she ordered the cheese pastry for DD2.
"Friand au Fromage"
DD9 liked that this was presented with a salad. Even though she said she didn't feel like ordering the kids' salad she ended up eating most of this one.
DD2 liked the pastry well enough. There wasn't a ton of cheese inside, but the crust was light and flaky and she finished about 3/4 of it. At DD9's request, I ordered the cheese plate rather than the French onion soup I really wanted.
"Assiette de fromages de France"
This was quite nice, especially paired with the baguettes that Chefs serves in lieu of sliced bread. It could really have used a menu similar to the ones the signature restaurants offer, however, to help with identifying the cheeses. I enjoyed the top round of cheese, which tasted like a brie to me. The top wedge tasted like a goat or sheep milk cheese, and had an odd tang that none of us cared fore. The wedge on the right was a nice, sharp-but-not-too-sharp hard cheese that we all enjoyed. The girls went to town on that one but did kindly leave me a bite to try. The bottom one with the orange rind was similar to muenster but softer, and it was the girls' second favorite after the harder cheese.
And once again, the girl who didn't want a salad ate most of the greens.
DM ordered the onion soup.
"Soupe a l'oignon gratinee - the classic onion soup topped with Gruyère cheese"
This was wonderful, with lots of onion and a good strong flavor without being too salty. The gruyere was perfectly melted and only very lightly browned, and complements the onion broth much better than the provolone non-French restaurants tend to use.
While we were eating our appetizers, this cute little fellow stopped by to visit. He's adorable but not really a character in the sense the girls were used to, and they didn't seem all that impressed. I don't think I'd make a reservation here just to see him again.
I let DD9 pick my entree, since nothing on the kids menu appealed to her and I wanted to make sure she ate enough to help feel better. So this wasn't my top pick, though it was on the "maybe" list.
"Croque monsieur et sa salade verte - the classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich served with a green salad"
As you can see, DD9 snatched her half of the sandwich before I could even get my pic! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I don't eat grilled cheese at home, with or without ham, but this was nothing like a grilled cheese at home. The cheese was rich, gooey, and plentiful, and the ham was lean and perfectly salty-flavorful. The bread was a nice, thick French bread topped with more cheese and lightly toasted, and the salad was the perfect accompaniment for a light lunch on a hot day.
DM ordered the crepe which isn't the one on the online menus right now. It was a crepe Florentine with smoked chicken, spinach, and mushrooms.
This was good, not great but enjoyable. The chicken had a lightly smoked taste and the rest of the ingredients blended well, but it just didn't wow me. I was happier with my choice even though it wasn't what I'd have ordered for myself without DD9's urging.
Since DD9 wasn't that interested in her meal, she went with the chicken strip with pasta.
DD2 doesn't really care much for breaded meats but she loves pasta so this one divided up well; we took the chicken to go for DD9 to snack on later (and it came in handy in the room after our 3am MK night!) and DD2 ate the pasta. This was just a basic noodles and tomato sauce dish, but DD2 liked that the sauce was served on the side. She's in a "do it myself" phase and it was a lot easier for her to get the plain noodles on her fork and dip them in the sauce than it is for her to handle noodles with sauce over top without making a mess.
Dessert is where Chefs really did it right.
I ordered the profiteroles because the pics here on the DIS have haunted me for months.
Profiteroles au chocolat - Puff choux with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce
This was incredible, classic cream puff pastry filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with the richest chocolate sauce you can imagine. Simple, straightforward, and wonderful.
DM ordered the apple-caramel crepe.
Crepe a la pomme et cannelle, glace vanille, caramel jus de pommes - Crepes filled with cinnamon, apple, vanilla ice cream and apple caramel sauce
This was better than the profiteroles, or more to my tastes anyway. A light, thin crepe filled with apple pie filling, the apples still just a little bit crisp and not at all mushy like they can be in some desserts, topped with a caramel sauce that wasn't too rich or sticky sweet. My mom & I swapped plates after we'd each had half of our own desserts, and we both ended up preferring the other's choice.
DD9 ordered the chocolate chip cookie to go, so Arnaud brought it out with the desserts but brought a small bakery box with the check so we could pack it up. We shared this as a bedtime snack when we got back to the room and it was every bit as good and chocolately as it looks.
While this wasn't the best meal of the trip by any stretch, it was good food and unlike many Disney restaurants, it was in line with what I think of as lunch food both in terms of menu choices and portion sizes. I did enjoy it but I don't think we'll go back any time soon simply because there are so many other World Showcase restaurants we've yet to try. In any other park this would probably become a lunch favorite for us but at Epcot we're not inclined to settle for just "good" food.
Cost if paying OOP - $91.81
Total DxDDP value so far - $722.92
Colleen27
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
- Messages
- 24,190
I love Mexican food but have never cared for San Angel Inn, so I was very happy to hear that they were building another Mexican restaurant at Epcot and I had pretty high hopes going into this meal. And just to put this review in context, I do enjoy typical American tex-mex but Detroit has a wealth of wonderful authentic Mexican restaurants in the Mexicantown section of the city and that's my idea of really good Mexican.
So now, my review of La Hacienda.
There was a short line to check in outside the restaurant, thanks mostly to a very loud, annoyed woman arguing with the hostess. Apparently they couldn't get their preferred reservation time, so they booked a 9pm ADR and just decided to check in at 6:30 thinking they'd be seated. Gotta love entitlement thinking.
Once inside the restaurant our wait was very short, not even long enough to take DD9 to the girls room to wash up before we were seated. My first impression of La Hacienda was of the lighting. The whole restaurant is quite pretty, and the light fixtures really stand out. They're very colorful, and very different.
We were seated at a corner table in the furthest end of the restaurant from the windows. The section nearest the windows must have a lovely view of the lagoon and Illuminations, but I don't think I'd book this restaurant for the fireworks view. There are far more tables without a view than with one, and no outdoor area accessible for fireworks viewing like is offered at California Grill or Narcoosees.
This shelf of glassware above the entrance to the next section of seating caught my eye.
Our server, Juan, introduced himself and explained a little bit about the menu, and returned promptly with our drinks and chips with salsa.
I've seen these criticized as bagged chips and jarred salsa, and I would LOVE to know where those posters buy their salsa. The chips were okay, fresh-tasting but not as thin as I like, and aside from the colors not all that different from your typical Tostitos-type chips. The salsa, on the other hand, was very good. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but both varieties were unique and much, much better than anything I've ever gotten from a jar. The red salsa was spicy and smoky, too hot for DM and the girls so I got it all to myself which suited me just fine. The green salsa was mild and slightly sweet and a big hit with the girls, who don't yet have my appreciation for spicy foods.
DM started with the Taquiza.
"Taquiza - taco trio featuring Rib eye taco with chipolte salsa, roasted chicken taco with salsa verde, and Chilorio (marinated pork) taco"
My mom really enjoyed these. I didn't get much of a taste because both the girls wanted to share too, so my mom got half of each taco, DD2 got half a pork taco, DD9 got half a steak taco, and all I got was half of a delightful shredded chicken taco with a very nice salsa verde.
Juan anticipated that we'd all be sharing and brought extra plates with the appetizers without being asked, which (along with similar little touches throughout the meal) earned him a very nice tip.
I had the Botana for my appetizer.
"Botana - a sampling of Mexican favorites: chicken tostado, Chilorio sope (marinated pork), and cheese empanada"
The girls split the cheese empanada so I barely got a bit of that one, though the bite that I had was good. The crust was crispy, the cheese nice and creamy, and the salsa verde over the top added a nice extra something to an otherwise very plain item. The pork was amazing, marinated in a slightly spicy sauce and cooked to fall-apart tender, served atop a fresh, crisp corn tortilla with a sprinkle of queso fresco. This chicken tostada was very good as well, with a thin layer of black beans topped with shredded chicken, onion, lettuce and more queso fresco, but it paled in comparison to the pork.
The girls started with a fruit cup for their appetizer, which wasn't anything terribly special and somehow didn't make it into a picture. They ate the berries, as usual, but left most of the melon.
For an entree, DM chose the mole pork.
"Puerco en Salsa de Mole Negro - roasted pork tender loin with mole negro sauce, served with esquites (roasted corn), sweet potato mash, beans, and vegetables"
She loved this. I tried a bite and it was well prepared, but just not my thing (I don't generally care much for mole sauce). The pork was fork-tender and the sweet potato mash worked well with the thick sauce. I loved the vegetable blend they serve, which was the same on my dish, because fresh zucchini and summer squash are something you just don't get here at home in March.
I went with the pollos al pastor.
"Pollos al Pastor - Achiote marinated chicken served with roasted vegetables, beans, and pineapple relish"
This was excellent. The chicken was breast meat cooked just right, moist and tender, and the marinade was very tropical and slightly sweet. The sauce from the chicken paired with the fresh, lightly seasoned vegetables was wonderful. I could make a vegetarian meal just of the marinade and the veggies!
Also, you can kind of see in the background of my meal and the foreground of DM's, the beans and rice here are served on the side in their own bowls. I enjoy beans and rice, and their black beans are much better than your typical refried beans, but I really appreciated this presentation over the more common all-on-one-plate presentation where the beans and rice get mixed into the main course.
DD9 decided that since she hadn't eaten her chicken strips at lunch, she'd try them for dinner.
She ended up regretting this choice. The chicken strips were meatier and better quality than at Chefs, but after trying DM's taco appetizer I think she decided she was in the mood for Mexican after all. She ate one chicken strip, some of my chicken, and some of DM's pork.
Again Juan brought an extra plate for DD2, and we made her up a sampler plate with a piece of my chicken, a piece of pork, some beans, and some rice and she was in heaven. The only thing she ate from the kids meal was some of the green beans.
When it came time for dessert I ordered something a little odd for me, a chocolate custard that I don't see on any online menus. On the receipt it is listed as "chocolate natilla" and on the menu I remember it had "Abuela" in the name.
I'm not normally a chocolate person and I'm not quite sure what possessed me to try this, but I am so glad I did! It was the polar opposite of the dark, rich chocolate on the profiteroles and this kind of chocolate I could love - more like a mousse than custard, it was light with a hint of cinnamon and a lot of cream, and not the least bit overly rich or heavy. So lesson for the day - I like Mexican chocolate better than French!
DM ordered the tamal de dulce.
"Tamal de Dulce - Sweet tamal filled with guava, topped with strawberry coulis"
This was excellent as well. The tamal wrap is a sweet, light cornbread, filled with a thick guava preserves and covered with a strawberry sauce. It was like a different, Mexican-influenced, tropical take on strawberry shortcake, very sweet and fruity and just plain good.
The girls shared an order of churros, which Juan thoughtfully split before bringing it out. DD9 got a churro with the accompanying scoop of ice cream w/caramel sauce. DD2 got a churro without the ice cream, with just a little bit of caramel sauce in the bottom of the bowl for dipping. That was very thoughtful and made me think that Juan must have kids or much younger siblings to know not to put a dessert with ice cream in front of a toddler who is feeding herself!
This ended up being our favorite one credit meal of the entire trip, and will likely make the must-do list for our next trip. Everything was very good, the service was excellent, and the restaurant is one of the most visually attractive in the World Showcase. It was a very nice, relaxing meal and a good way to wrap up a long day in the park.
Cost if paying OOP - $106.27
Total DxDDP value so far - $829.19
So now, my review of La Hacienda.
There was a short line to check in outside the restaurant, thanks mostly to a very loud, annoyed woman arguing with the hostess. Apparently they couldn't get their preferred reservation time, so they booked a 9pm ADR and just decided to check in at 6:30 thinking they'd be seated. Gotta love entitlement thinking.
Once inside the restaurant our wait was very short, not even long enough to take DD9 to the girls room to wash up before we were seated. My first impression of La Hacienda was of the lighting. The whole restaurant is quite pretty, and the light fixtures really stand out. They're very colorful, and very different.
We were seated at a corner table in the furthest end of the restaurant from the windows. The section nearest the windows must have a lovely view of the lagoon and Illuminations, but I don't think I'd book this restaurant for the fireworks view. There are far more tables without a view than with one, and no outdoor area accessible for fireworks viewing like is offered at California Grill or Narcoosees.
This shelf of glassware above the entrance to the next section of seating caught my eye.
Our server, Juan, introduced himself and explained a little bit about the menu, and returned promptly with our drinks and chips with salsa.
I've seen these criticized as bagged chips and jarred salsa, and I would LOVE to know where those posters buy their salsa. The chips were okay, fresh-tasting but not as thin as I like, and aside from the colors not all that different from your typical Tostitos-type chips. The salsa, on the other hand, was very good. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but both varieties were unique and much, much better than anything I've ever gotten from a jar. The red salsa was spicy and smoky, too hot for DM and the girls so I got it all to myself which suited me just fine. The green salsa was mild and slightly sweet and a big hit with the girls, who don't yet have my appreciation for spicy foods.
DM started with the Taquiza.
"Taquiza - taco trio featuring Rib eye taco with chipolte salsa, roasted chicken taco with salsa verde, and Chilorio (marinated pork) taco"
My mom really enjoyed these. I didn't get much of a taste because both the girls wanted to share too, so my mom got half of each taco, DD2 got half a pork taco, DD9 got half a steak taco, and all I got was half of a delightful shredded chicken taco with a very nice salsa verde.
Juan anticipated that we'd all be sharing and brought extra plates with the appetizers without being asked, which (along with similar little touches throughout the meal) earned him a very nice tip.
I had the Botana for my appetizer.
"Botana - a sampling of Mexican favorites: chicken tostado, Chilorio sope (marinated pork), and cheese empanada"
The girls split the cheese empanada so I barely got a bit of that one, though the bite that I had was good. The crust was crispy, the cheese nice and creamy, and the salsa verde over the top added a nice extra something to an otherwise very plain item. The pork was amazing, marinated in a slightly spicy sauce and cooked to fall-apart tender, served atop a fresh, crisp corn tortilla with a sprinkle of queso fresco. This chicken tostada was very good as well, with a thin layer of black beans topped with shredded chicken, onion, lettuce and more queso fresco, but it paled in comparison to the pork.
The girls started with a fruit cup for their appetizer, which wasn't anything terribly special and somehow didn't make it into a picture. They ate the berries, as usual, but left most of the melon.
For an entree, DM chose the mole pork.
"Puerco en Salsa de Mole Negro - roasted pork tender loin with mole negro sauce, served with esquites (roasted corn), sweet potato mash, beans, and vegetables"
She loved this. I tried a bite and it was well prepared, but just not my thing (I don't generally care much for mole sauce). The pork was fork-tender and the sweet potato mash worked well with the thick sauce. I loved the vegetable blend they serve, which was the same on my dish, because fresh zucchini and summer squash are something you just don't get here at home in March.
I went with the pollos al pastor.
"Pollos al Pastor - Achiote marinated chicken served with roasted vegetables, beans, and pineapple relish"
This was excellent. The chicken was breast meat cooked just right, moist and tender, and the marinade was very tropical and slightly sweet. The sauce from the chicken paired with the fresh, lightly seasoned vegetables was wonderful. I could make a vegetarian meal just of the marinade and the veggies!
Also, you can kind of see in the background of my meal and the foreground of DM's, the beans and rice here are served on the side in their own bowls. I enjoy beans and rice, and their black beans are much better than your typical refried beans, but I really appreciated this presentation over the more common all-on-one-plate presentation where the beans and rice get mixed into the main course.
DD9 decided that since she hadn't eaten her chicken strips at lunch, she'd try them for dinner.
She ended up regretting this choice. The chicken strips were meatier and better quality than at Chefs, but after trying DM's taco appetizer I think she decided she was in the mood for Mexican after all. She ate one chicken strip, some of my chicken, and some of DM's pork.
Again Juan brought an extra plate for DD2, and we made her up a sampler plate with a piece of my chicken, a piece of pork, some beans, and some rice and she was in heaven. The only thing she ate from the kids meal was some of the green beans.
When it came time for dessert I ordered something a little odd for me, a chocolate custard that I don't see on any online menus. On the receipt it is listed as "chocolate natilla" and on the menu I remember it had "Abuela" in the name.
I'm not normally a chocolate person and I'm not quite sure what possessed me to try this, but I am so glad I did! It was the polar opposite of the dark, rich chocolate on the profiteroles and this kind of chocolate I could love - more like a mousse than custard, it was light with a hint of cinnamon and a lot of cream, and not the least bit overly rich or heavy. So lesson for the day - I like Mexican chocolate better than French!
DM ordered the tamal de dulce.
"Tamal de Dulce - Sweet tamal filled with guava, topped with strawberry coulis"
This was excellent as well. The tamal wrap is a sweet, light cornbread, filled with a thick guava preserves and covered with a strawberry sauce. It was like a different, Mexican-influenced, tropical take on strawberry shortcake, very sweet and fruity and just plain good.
The girls shared an order of churros, which Juan thoughtfully split before bringing it out. DD9 got a churro with the accompanying scoop of ice cream w/caramel sauce. DD2 got a churro without the ice cream, with just a little bit of caramel sauce in the bottom of the bowl for dipping. That was very thoughtful and made me think that Juan must have kids or much younger siblings to know not to put a dessert with ice cream in front of a toddler who is feeding herself!
This ended up being our favorite one credit meal of the entire trip, and will likely make the must-do list for our next trip. Everything was very good, the service was excellent, and the restaurant is one of the most visually attractive in the World Showcase. It was a very nice, relaxing meal and a good way to wrap up a long day in the park.
Cost if paying OOP - $106.27
Total DxDDP value so far - $829.19
MyTwoPrincesses
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2009
- Messages
- 1,408
That lunch at Chefs looked great! I thought of going to Chefs last trip, but ended up choosing La Hacienda de San Angel instead. However, it will be on our list for the next trip.
SnowWhite33
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 15, 2003
- Messages
- 7,954
Thank you for the great reviews overall, but especially La Hacienda. We have been debating our ADR there because the menu looks so limited, but your pics and review I think have made us decide to keep it. Thank you 
DisGirl819
<font color=blue>Then I thought about it and reali
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2006
- Messages
- 1,560
Great review so far! Its like listening to the chefs on the food network
And Le Chefs de France is on our list this time. It looks yummy!
And Le Chefs de France is on our list this time. It looks yummy!
msmith1026
A muffin is just an ugly cupcake.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2010
- Messages
- 336
Your reviews are wonderful, they are really helping me get an idea of where we'd like to go. Really enjoyed the La Hacienda review, as I know my husband would like to try it. Thank you!!
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