**LIVE** First we eat, then we do everything else! Sept Dining Review - Update 5/5/14

[TinkerBelle_325]

Day 1: September 3rd 2013

Our travel day was pretty uneventful until we arrived at Coronado and it was revealed that we had been updated to a 1 bedroom (3 room!) suite in the Casitas!!



This is the view as you enter the room! The table and chairs area also houses a wet bar with a larger mini fridge than those typically found in the rooms.



This is the view towards the entrance!



This is the second room - a living room with 2 comfy chairs, a pull out couch a coffee table, side table and lots of storage under the HUGE tv!



This is the view from the second room towards the entrance.

There is also a full bath off the living room.

The third room is a typical CSR room, but with slightly different finishes and colours. I will post photos of it soon!

LUNCH: Pepper Market

We decided not to venture away from CSR once we arrived so we grabbed a quick lunch at the Pepper Market. We were pretty boring actually because we all ordered the Chicken Quesadillas!



These were fantastic! Cheesy and savoury! The salsa was nearly identical to the red salsa from La Hacienda.

I will update with the cost later but I think it was $40-something with tip.


DINNER: Les Chefs de France



As I mentioned in my pre-trip posts this has been a family favorite for YEARS! Last night's meal was easily among our best ever!

Our server was Rebecca - she was in her 11th month of the International Program and was fantastic. Her timing was perfect and she was one of those servers that isn't afraid to joke and converse. We love servers like that!


Table Setting



We started with the house made (or I suppose Les Halles made!) baguette! So delicious. It was crunchy on the outside, light and airy inside, still warm and perfect with the cool salted butter.

What can make baguette even more perfect?

CHEESE!



We had never tried the cheese board here but we adore cheese. There was a goat cheese, a brie, a blue, a gryuere and I believe a comte. All were as good as expected! My favorite was the goat, DMom's was a tie between the brie and the blue and DDad's was the gryuere. We will definitely order this again!



As you can see, we also shared an order of escargot. We love escargot but we have had a hit and miss experience with them at Chefs. Well this time they were a giant hit! They were small and tender, the sauce had the perfect balance of parsley, butter and garlic. The little toast rounds are a great addition because they provide a contrast in texture.



We are definitely ordering these again!

After the appetizers and polishing off TWO demi baguettes we each had the French Onion Soup.



As usual this was warm, cheesy and comforting.

To drink, DMom had a glass of merlot, DDad had a Kronenberg beer and I had a glass of sparkling wine.

I believe the total was around $90.

SNACK: Les Halles

We were also very excited to try Les Halles! So after dinner we grabbed some dessert!



We shared the Macaron (with Lemon & Raspberry), the Napoleon and the Tart au Citron. We loved all of them! The little box of macarons is still in our room!

That's all for now! I'll update again tomorrow ​

 

[Tinker12]

Great start and beautiful pictures!!

 

[Linda67]

Looks like a great start to your trip
We are trying Chef's for the first time in December (for lunch) and are really looking forward to it
The treats from Les Halles look delicious

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Hey nothing boring about chicke quesidillas-I know from PM they are delish

Can't wait for more, hope you are having a wonderful time

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Day 2: Wednesday, September 4th 2013

Our first day always starts off with the Magic Kingdom. My parents and I were not impressed with the Main Street Bakery Starbucks. Don't get me wrong - I love Starbucks and I know I will end up buying drinks from the location but I will always miss the traditional bakery.

We decided to try the Cinnamon Rolls at Gaston's Tavern....

BREAKFAST: Gaston's Tavern




Yup...this was like 9:10am....and the park was practically empty!





I love that fountain It really sums up Gaston's attitude perfectly!



This shot really looks like an animation cell straight out of the movie!



We shared a chocolate croissant, a cinnamon roll and Le Fou's Brew. The cinnamon roll was like a 7 out of 10. There wasn't enough icing or cinnamon and it was drier than I like. The chocolate croissant was probably an 8, warm and gooey it was a good breakfast. I love Le Fou's Brew but at 9am it is too sweet even for my taste

I think the total was around $14.

LUNCH: Liberty Tree Tavern

This is a long standing tradition - we always have lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern our first day. It was not a very popular destination when we started the tradition, but it has increased in popularity over the years. That being said - it was so quiet in there yesterday! We were in the Benjamin Franklin room and there were only 2 other tables seated during our lunch.



DMom & DDad had the Pilgrim's Feast and they asked for Cranberry Sauce on the side. The last time we dined here it was canned cranberry sauce, which is fine. But this time it was a house made cranberry orange relish and it was AMAZING!



I had the New England Pot Roast because we are eating at LTT for dinner and I figured I would get my turkey fix then



As always this was tender and delicious. The carrots were particularly good! I believe they were roasted separately as they were nicely caramelized on the outside and still slightly crunchy on the inside (which is how I prefer them!).

Now, this may be blasphmeous to some....but we had never tried the Ooeey Gooey Toffee Cake *gasp* I know!

The table next to use was a family of 5 that stopped in simply to order 2 of the toffee cake as a snack! They convinced us it was time to try



OMG where has this been all my life? It is like a cookie, a brownie and a cake all rolled into one caramely, chocolatey, heavenly dessert!

The total was around $70 for this meal. (I promise I will update with the actual prices and TIW savings!)


DINNER: Artist Point

Our original plan was to dine at Via Napoli at 7pm. However, at 5:30 there were all these crazy weather warnings for severe storms and wind and hail. We didn't want to risk getting caught in that so I spent about 30 minutes rearranging our dining itinerary. I will keep some of the changes a surprise (they aren't that exciting honestly LOL).

We had last night narrowed down to Boma, Kona, The Wave or Artist Point. Why? Because all are at resorts, all allowed us to valet park (with TIW) and avoid getting caught in the rain hehe. Well, Mom vetoed Boma, DDad vetoed Kona and I vetoed The Wave....really we all wanted Artist Point!



We were seated at a table in the room right as you enter the restaurant. It is on the right hand side positioned against two walls. It was so private and quiet. We felt like we were dining privately, which was lovely!

Our server was Donald and he was a riot! Fast talking, passionate and knowledgable. He gave us a GREAT comparison for understanding North Western wines. In Canada we can't get wine from the North West so we really are pretty clueless about what to order. He explained that if we liked local Canadian wines and French wines we were likely to enjoy North West wines as well. Why? Because all are "cold climate" wines as opposed to California which are "warm climate" wines. Warm climate whites are drier and oakier whereas cold climate are creamier and more crisp. Warm climate reds are peppery with almost tobacco notes whereas cold climate are more fruity.

How awesome is that description? He also helped us each select glasses of wine that suited our tasted. DMom & DDad had a Cabernet Merlot and I had a Riesling.



We started with Sourdough Bread, Butter with Sea Salt and Fennel Infused Olive Oil



Typically none of us like Fennel, but paired with the green and fruity olive oil it was fragrant and delicious. It had notes similar to garlic but sweeter. The butter topped with sea salt was lovely as well, providing a nice crunch.

DDad and I instantly spotted an appetizer that called our name...

Confit Natural Bacon - Sunny-side Up Quail Egg, Chow Mein Noodles, and Blood Orange Glaze



WOW. This was simply incredible. The crunchy and tender contrast provided by the pork belly, paired with the richness of the egg, the sharp tartness of the blood orange and the texture of the fried chow mein noodles and cabbage was sensational. It was also the perfect size to share - about 2 bites each which is all you need of something that rich.

My entree was...

Seared Diver Scallops - Corn Risotto, Fennel Jus, Blistered Tomato, Serrano Ham Crisp, and Citrus Pistou



Once again, sensational. The scallops were cooked perfectly with a lovely sear but a tender translucency within. The corn risotto was sweet and fresh, paired with the fragrant fennel jus and the bright citrus pistou. Donald gave me a spoon for the jus and I can see why! I wanted to drink it. The serrano ham crisp was a wonderful pairing because it added a layer of smokey saltiness that was needed with all the bright and fresh flavors.

DMom had the...

Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon - Rainbow Cauliflower, Root Spinach, Lemon-Butter Sauce, Applewood Bacon Jam and Short Rib Strudel.



This was the best piece of salmon any of us had ever tasted! It was so pure in flavor that it really didn't need a heavy sauce. The shortrib strudel was an interesting pairing. DMom wasn't a fan but DDad and I loved it.

DDad ordered the...

Slow-roasted 64 Celcius Buffalo Strip Steak - Smoked Gouda-Yukon Gold Potato Smear, Romano Beans, Red Onion Marmalade and Verjus Gastrique



He loves to order game meat when he can and Buffalo is a particular favorite. Typically the meat is very dense, but this was meltingly tender and the potato smear was out of this world!

After dinner we decided to share a single dessert and have a few after dinner drinks. Red wine for DMom, Grand Marnier for DDad and Bailey's for me.

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee - with Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti



It was a great example of a perfectly executed creme brulee. The bruleed top was thick and perfectly caramelized, the custard was a creamy consistency and there were plenty of real vanilla bean flecks.

The total was around $220. We will be adding Artist Point back into our regular rotation because we forgot just how much we enjoy it!

That's all for now as I need to get changed and touch up my makeup to head off to Jiko ​

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Hi All! So sorry that I haven't been keeping up with the updates here! Hopefully you have been following my twitter and Instagram where I have been doing a better job lol.

I hope to put up an update this afternoon. Today's agenda is Boma at 10:30 and then the California Grill at 7:30! I am sooooo excited! The pictures I have seen of the restaurant are stunning and the food looks incredible.

 

[spiritsim]

That room is amazing. The food looks great at AP you always describe things in such detail I can almost taste it.......yum

 

[wilma-bride]

Just found your reviews today and loving them

 

[disneymomof1]

Enjoying your report, and counting down the days until my girls only trip !!

 

[vettegirl]

Wow that is one sweet upgrade!!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

That room is amazing. The food looks great at AP you always describe things in such detail I can almost taste it.......yum

Just found your reviews today and loving them

Enjoying your report, and counting down the days until my girls only trip !!

Wow that is one sweet upgrade!!

Thanks everyone! It was an amazing upgrade

Update coming up!

 

[Tinker12]

Yeah!!! More updates! Can't wait!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Day 3: Thursday, September 5th 2013

This was my parents anniversary so my "gift" to them was a park free day. However, we did stop by Downtown Disney first thing in the morning to grab some brunch.

BRUNCH: Wolfgang Puck Express

We actually arrived at 10:50am so we were able to order from both the breakfast and lunch menus! The restaurant was very calm with maybe 2 other parties seated. It got busier as our meal progressed, but nowhere near as busy as Earl of Sandwich (which we still need to try!).



We shared a few items. The breakfast pizza, a side of macaroni & cheese, a side of herbed fries and a chinois chicken salad.

Everything was wonderful! Actually, the macaroni & cheese was a fantastic deal. For only $4 we got a portion that would easily serve as a lunch for 1 or a sizeable sharing portion for 2 or 3 adults.

The cost for this meal was around $35.

DINNER: Jiko

We had such fabulous experiences in December that we were very excited to return to Jiko. While the meal was good, and the manager gave us plenty of lovely extras for DMom and DDad's anniversary, it was not up to our expectations. This seems to be in line with other poster's opinions lately. For us, the menu was too limited as about half of the items were spicy (we mean at least a 5 out of 10) based on our servers recommendations.



Regardless, I still love the atmosphere at Jiko. It is one of the most beautiful and relaxing restaurants on property!



When we arrived we were seated promptly at a window table and we were happy to see Dawn as our server. Dawn has served us on many occasions in the past and is a friendly and knowledgeable server.



As always, we started with the best bread basket in WDW. The honey wheat and flax breads with tandoori butter! I wish I could replicate this at home. It is pure heaven!



The chef sent out an amuse for DMom & DMDad's anniversary. A sweet potato beignet with peppadew aioli. Wow! This little bite packed quite a bit of punch. The beignet itself was crisp on the outside ans tender within and featured a lovely sweetness. The peppadew aioli was slightly spicy, but more floral with notes of pepper and garlic. A great way to start the meal.



For appetizers we shared the Taste of Africa and the Kifto Leb Leb (how fun is that to say?!). The Taste of Africa was fantastic as always. My favorites are the green dip with lentils and herbs and the red dip with harissa and preserved lemons. My favorite bread is the naan, closely followed by the poppadams.

The Leb Leb (as fun as it is to say) was only so-so. It was a beef carpaccio flatbread with tomatoes, herbed cheese, onions and arugula. Ironically, despite my first complaint about being limited by spice when it came to entrees - this was a bit bland for my taste.

In between our appetizers we got another surprise from the kitchen. A palate cleansing sorbet! It was a very intriguing flavour - Coconut Lemon! Now that sounds bizarre right? It was divine. The sweetness of the coconut was accented by the bright citrusy notes of the lemon but there was no tartness that you would typically associate with lemon sorbet.



For entrees, DMom had the Curry Rubbed Lamb Loin



She was hesitant at first because she isn't usually a fan of curry - but she loves lamb! She was pleasantly surprised that the curry was not as prominent as she had encountered in the past and simply added a level of seasoning and spice to the dish. The side, was spinach and a grain (perhaps quinoa) and she loved it as much, if not more than, the lamb which she said was a bit dry even though she ordered it medium rare.

DDad and I both had the Filet with Spoonbread, Pole Beans and Red Wine Reduction.



The filet was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was well seasoned. The spoonbread was a cross between cornbread and polenta. While I love cornmeal based sides this was a bit too sweet for my taste. The red wine sauce was also not as tangy and rich as expected. It was a good entree but not great.

I was disappointed because I wanted to order the Short Ribs. However, Dawn cautioned me that they were aggressively spicy. In fact, she brought me a sample of sambal (the chile paste used in the dish) and WOW...it was hot I like spice and the flavour was lovely, but one little dot made my lips tingle. She also cautioned me that the Duck (my second choice) was quite spicy as well. We were surprised to see at least three of the dishes on the entree menu limited by spice.

For dessert, I had my favorite after dinner drink: The Zebratini



It is like adult chocolate milk -

DMom had a Courvasier and DDad had a Grand Marnier. We decided to share one of the desserts. Instead, we were presented with these:



Dessert Samplers! We had the Kenyan Coffee Creme Brulee, the White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mango & Pineapple, the Chocolate Tea Safari! We were blown away. Each dessert was fantastic, which made up for the slightly disappointing entrees.

Will we be back to Jiko? Absolutely. We know that restaurants go through phases and this is just one we weren't particularly thrilled with. It was a 7 or 8 out of 10 whereas it has been a 9 or 10 the past few trips. It was still a great overall experience.​

 

[kastoney]

Subbing in late, but I guess better late than never.

Loving the report so at. That pork dish with quail egg and Artist Point looks amazing. Don't think Id heard anything about it before but now I must have it.

Lots of folks on here like to call themselves foodies but their dining choices sometimes make me question that. From your countdown best of Lists I can tell that you aren't using the term loosely. Can't wait for the rest.

 

[natsiswdw]

Love your reviews Keep them coming!!!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Day 4: Friday, September 6th 2013

The plan for today was to spend some time at World Showcase and enjoy a lunch reservation at Le Cellier. We love the cheese soup and the last time we had it was Food & Wine 2012. Now...I haven't had the best lunch experiences at Le Cellier, but I was willing to give it a try for that glorious, rich soup! Our experience this day has led me to title this section of my review...

The Curse of Le Cellier!

Sounds a bit silly right? But for me it's true! The last time I went to Le Cellier for lunch was with my friend Belle_373. We were seated quite quickly and we knew exactly what we wanted - Cheese Soup & Pretzel Bread! This was well before Le Cellier was changed to a "signature" dining location.

Our server stopped by our table and took our drink orders (two cokes I believe). He looked a tad disappointed and mentioned the drink menu not so subtly. Ok we get it - he wanted us to order alcohol - we didn't want to so we simply brushed it off. When he returned to take our orders we both asked for a bowl of cheese soup. Once again - he looked frustrated. We were getting a bit miffed by it at this point but we were still looking forward to the soup. While we waited we realized we didn't have any bread - yet all the tables around. We asked our server for some bread the next time we saw him and his response baffled us....

"Bread is for customers that purchase more than just an appetizer"



I swear that is exactly the expression on our faces. We protested that every table had bread - many that had not yet placed orders! He replied that if we wanted bread he would have to charge us for it.



At this point we demanded a manager. The manager was quite complacent and basically corroborated what the server said. We were both disgusted. The manager sighed and said she supposed she could waive the charge for the bread. By this point our soup arrived and we both lost our appetites.

We didn't wait for the server or the bill - we estimated the cost, left the money on the table and left.

Fast-forward to Sept 6th. I was sure there was no way this lunch experience could rival that one - but I was wrong.

We arrived at the restaurant at 11:55 and checked in for our 12pm reservation. There were maybe 5 or 6 other parties there. After the signing of O Canada we were the first party called. We were led down the ramp and towards the back right corner of the restaurant. I was expecting to be seated at one of the booths on the wall but they offered us the table right beside the swinging kitchen door. We kind of chuckled and asked to be re-seated. We noticed that the remaining parties had been seated - all at booths against the walls. We asked to be re-seated. Mike, the server that led us to the table looked perplexed and insisted we had to walk all the way back up to the podium. We asked if he could simply talk to the roaming seat assigner. He looked annoyed and muttered "fine." So then we met Sonia, the seat assigner. She tried to place us at another table.....the one in front of the OTHER kitchen door. DDad's response was "Seriously?" and it was what we were all feeling. The third table we were offered was literally right beside the service station. Now, there are about 50 tables at Le Cellier and only 6 of them were occupied at this point. We proceeded to point to 3 or 4 other tables we felt would be acceptable and were told "those sections are all closed."

There was no desire to seat us anywhere away from a service station, even though all the other parties were seated at tables that we would have accepted. We have a friend that owns several restaurant and one of the first things he tells his hostess staff is "You never walk a patron past a good table to seat them at a bad table".

After 15 minutes of musical chairs we were fed up. There was no service being offered, no interest in accommodating the needs of customers that were clearly unhappy with being seated in service corridors. We left (after being sure to have our names removed from the list of "no shows" that are charged at the end of the evening).

I can say with confidence that we will never dine at Le Cellier again.

We ended up wandering World Showcase and decided to stop into Les Halles to grab a light lunch.

LUNCH: Les Halles

Because we were all flustered and frustrated there are no pictures from this lunch. DDad had the Ham & Cheese Croissant. I had the Croque Monsiuer and DMom had the Tuna Nicoise Salad. Overall we would give Les Halles a 6 out of 10. The food was good but a bit bland for our tastes. My croque was too dry for my liking and DMom's salad dressing was so thick it looked like pudding. Now - our attitude of this location may be slightly marred by our Le Cellier experience. We loved the pastries we tried the few nights before!

SNACK & DRINKS: Tambu Lounge

The heavens opened up on this night and it rained like crazy! We decided to try and grab a reservation at Kona Cafe and we were successful. We arrived at the Polynesian a bit early so we stopped by the Tambu Lounge. DMom had a glass of Shiraz, DDad had a Glenlivet on the rocks and I had a Lapu Lapu.

We also shared the Pulled Pork Nachos. Wow! What a hidden gem. Pulled Pork, Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Mayo on top of Polynesian Chips (Potato Chips and Wontons). We gobbled them up!

DINNER: Kona Cafe



In looking back, this was our one day of bad dining. Typically Kona has been a favorite. We have had a few rocky experiences but nothing that would deter us from returning. Tonight changed that. Our server, Malia, was phenomenal! She was prompt and attentive. We ordered Sticky Wings, a Kona Salad, a Volcano Roll, a Lava Roll and two Cali Luau Rolls.



My second favorite bread on property (close 2nd to Jiko). We love the sweetness of the bread and the crunchy macadamia nut honey butter to compliment it.



DDad and I shared the Sticky Wings. We loved them as always. Salty, Sweet, Sticky, with a slight spice from the mustard sauce.



DMom had the Kona Salad. One of her favorites. The light citrus vinagrette plays well with the strong blue cheese and walnuts.



Sadly, this is where the meal goes downhill.



The Volcano Roll - tuna with pickled vegetables, seafood salad, tempura crunch and spicy mayo

I have had this once a trip for 10 trips. This was nothing like the previous rolls I have had. For one, there was practically no tuna! There used to be two or three thick strips in the center of the roll, there was one thin strip was was 1/4 inch cubed. There was a ratio of 2/3rd pickled vegetables to 1/3rd tuna! And the rice....ugh...it was gluey and not cooked through - plus it was too vinegary.



If you look closely at the bottom center roll you will see the measly tuna.



Looking at this picture it just looks blah. There is barely any avocado in some pieces and way too much in others. Plus the rice was an issue again and the rolls fell apart as you picked them up.



This is the Lava Roll. It was a new roll to us and our dislike was more with the flavour profile than the issues with the previous rolls. However, the rice was pretty awful once again.

We expressed our disappointment with the sushi to our server Malia and she said she would get the manager for us. However, she also commented that many customers complained about the sushi lately.

After 10 minutes Malia came back, looking distressed. She said the manager was on the phone with another customer complaint and would be with us shortly. We thanked her for the update and assured her that we were more than satisfied with her service.

Moments later we saw the manager out in front of the podium talking to a party. Malia checked back with us a few moments later. The poor thing looked like she was going to be sick because the manager still hadn't seen us and what's worse - we could see her. At this point we had been waiting 20 minutes to see her.

DDad's patience (actually all of our patience) was wearing thin. We gave the manager another 5 minutes and then DMom & I left. Malia turned as white as a ghost when she saw us leaving. We let her know again that she had done nothing wrong.

5 minutes after that (30 minutes of waiting total) DDad joined us in the lobby. The manager had explained that she was tied up with another party. DDad said he understood that she needed to address the needs of that party but how difficult would it have been to step away for 5 minutes just to touch base with us - another party meriting attention. She picked up our entire meal and said in the future she will be sure to better balance her priorities in dealing with guest issues. She was young and perhaps inexperienced but there is no excuse for making a party wait for 30 minutes to speak with management. We honestly would have been better to stay in the lounge and continue ordering appetizers.

So, the 6th wasn't a banner day for dining but better updates are soon to come!​

 

[DisneyJo]

Oh no what a terrible dining day. We won't go back to Le Cellier either after having 2 bad meals in a row, before that it'd been our favourite restaurant. I also don't think it deserves to be a 2 credit meal!

 

[starousse]

Enjoying your report so far....I'm actually surprised that you even went back to Le Cellier after them making a big deal of giving you a bread basket with your soup. I've never heard of such a silly thing. The waiter was just annoyed that it wasn't gonna be a $200 bill. We ate dinner there back in May and I was underwhelmed by the service and the food was nothing to write home about.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Enjoying your report so far....I'm actually surprised that you even went back to Le Cellier after them making a big deal of giving you a bread basket with your soup. I've never heard of such a silly thing. The waiter was just annoyed that it wasn't gonna be a $200 bill. We ate dinner there back in May and I was underwhelmed by the service and the food was nothing to write home about.

I was hesitant to go back and now I see that I shouldn't have lol. But the experience with my friend was several years ago so I thought perhaps the service mentality in the restaurant had changed. Apparently not!

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

Day 5: Saturday, September 7th 2013

LUNCH: Garden View Tea

DMom & I went to the Garden View Tea at the Grand Floridian for "lunch" on this day. We spent the morning at The Mall at Millenia (bought two beautiful dresses at Macy's!). The tea has become an every trip tradition for us. We think it is the most peaceful thing to do on WDW property.



We always order The Grand Tea - a glass of sparkling wine, your tea of choice, sandwches with pate and an onion tartlet, a scone with devonshire cream, strawberry preserves and lemon curd and then your choice of strawberries & cream, seasonal trifle or two pastries.



My teacup with a tiny pot of honey! DMom had Harmony tea (a chamomile tea with notes of peppermint and orange) and I had Mad Hatter's Tea Party which is a black tea with notes of pomegranate and vanilla.



Sparkling Wine with the fanciest tea cozies I've ever seen!

We tend to customize our sandwich plates. I had three cucumber, cream cheese & watercress and two curried chicken salad. DMom had the standard plate which is egg salad, curried chicken salad, salmon salad, cucumber & watercress and pear & gorgonzola. However, we both asked for two onion tartlets in place of the pate.





This might be my favotite course! I could eat several of those scones easily. They are tender, flaky and ever so slightly sweet. I tend to use both the devonshire cream and the lemon curd because I like the tangy and creamy combination. I also put some lemon curd on the jam tart! It makes it even better, trust me!



By this point we are both pretty full. We never go for trifle or for berries. We just can't resist the pastries! I can't seem to find the picture of DMom's but we each had the newest item in the rotation - the cheesecake brownie. Our other choices were a chocolate strawberry and a chocolate eclair.



I have to note - our server, Riley, was phenomenal! She clearly loved her job and was passionate about tea. She made the experience extra magical

DINNER: La Hacienda de San Angel

We loved this restaurant when it first opened but we found it became inconsistent on subsequent visits. However, I read more favourable reviews lately so we decided to give it another try.



We were seated relatively quickly at a lovely table right by the windows. Unfortunately we had an obnoxious large party beside us that allowed their children to run wild. Even the manager looked frustrated.

DMom & DDad each had Corona and I had a Classic Margarita.



Shortly after our drinks arrived we received the complimentary chips and salsas. I love the Chipotle salsa! So smokey and spicy.



Based on a review I had read here we also ordered a side of Guacamole. I'm not the biggest fan but even I liked this! DMom & DDad loved it.

For entrees, DDad and I both ordered the Shrimp Tacos.



These are heaven on a plate. The perfectly fried shrimp, the refreshing salsa verde, the spicy mayo, the crisp cabbage and the spiced lime. I'm practically drooling lol. You get 4 tacos per order which is quite generous but we both finished every bite on the plate!

DMom had the Tilapia with Corn, Cactus and Mango Salsa.



She loves this dish. The fish is tender, the corn adds sweetness and the cactus has a very "green" taste. The mango adds necessary sweetness and there is a light spice as well.

We also got large bowls of rice and beans to share.



I don't eat beans (they taste like dirt to me lol). But my parents enjoyed them! The rice is also a nice accompaniment with a rich tomato and red pepper flavour.

We decided to skip dessert as nothing really grabbed our attention. We will definitely return to Hacienda soon, it exceeded our expectations.​