Mom & Son Going Back! 10 days DxDDP! Complete 10/2 - LTT, GG & Cost Totals

[GoofySon'sMom]

After our snack we watched the parade and then headed over to EPCOT. DH hadn’t really had lunch and was a bit hungry. I tried to make our La Hacienda dinner a bit earlier with no luck. So we stopped in at the Cantina and split the Nachos - Corn tortilla chips topped with ground beef, nacho cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, black beans and sour cream - $9.95

We had some company

The nachos were an Ok snack. Some of the chips in the middle were soggy from all the toppings but overall they were tasty.

Dinner was at La Hacienda de San Angel. Initially I was very excited to try this place. We all love Mexican food and San Angel is on our never again list. But reviews were mixed so I thought about canceling. I ended up very glad that I didn’t.

I started with the avocado marguarita –

This might be my favorite drink of all time. Very smooth and creamy. Mild in flavor. Doesn’t actually taste like avocado or guacamole. I hope to learn to make these at home.

DH had a Dos Equis. We were brought the chips and salsas …

We all enjoyed these. I forget now which of the salsas was hotter, the red or the green. DS and I like spicy and found that the perfect balance for us was to dip the chip first in the hotter one and then in the other one. The chips were thicker than normal store bought chips and nice and salty.

This is one meal that we had decided what we would order before we arrived and that we would all share. For starters we shared the Botana - A sampling of traditional mexican favorites, chicken tostada, chilorio sope(marinated pork) and cheese empanada - $9.95

Chiles toreados y chorizitos - Roasted sweet peppers with lime and sea salt, served with mini "cantimpalito" chorizos(pork sausage) - $12.25

Queso Fundido - Melted Cheese with poblano peppers, chorizo and flour tortillas - $12.50

The chiles were a bit spicy for us but mellowed out with a bit of the cheese and the tortillas. The Botana plate was very good. We all enjoyed all three (not easy cutting everything into 3 pieces) but like the chilorio sope the best.

For our entrees we had the Parrillada (serves 2 people) - "La Hacienda" Mixed grill offering flank steak, chicken al pastor, chorizo and vegetables, served with beans and fresh salsa. - $49.95

Pescado a la Talla - Grilled Tilapia served with esquites (roasted corn) nopales(cactus leaves) and mango chutney - $23.95

Everything was really good! We all really loved the tilapia, especially DS . DH preferred the steak, I preferred the chicken. I didn’t eatmuch of the rice or beans but DS loved the rice.

All in all, very successful.

Dessert didn’t really appeal to me but DH & DS wanted to try it so DH had the Tamal de Dulce - Sweet tamal filled with guava, topped with strawberry coulis - $7.95

I don’t see DS’s dessert on the menus. I believe it was described as being chocolate mousse or pudding like

I didn’t try either but both seemed to enjoy what they ordered.

Total came to $135.14 with the extra drinks (DH had 2 beers) costing $30.89.

Would we return? Definitely. Next trip? Maybe not. Depends what else sounds good at the time.

Since I didn’t have dessert, I knew I would want something sweet back in the room so we stopped at the food court for

Tie Dye Cheesecake! Oh how I love this. The creamy cheesecake, the moist red velvet cake. One of my favorite WDW treats!

When we got to our room we found a friend …

Gotta love POP!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I am still drooling over the appetizer at Via Naipoli!! That looks amazing, and I would just have that and be totally content.

Definitely! Especially if you add the ricotta fritters for dessert!

Hi! So glad I caught this, as I think I've followed all of your reviews. We had tried VN back in February and came away pretty unimpressed. But I was convinced we had just an off night and had ordered wrong, so went back this past trip....and we went back TWICE! We loved it! As for the waiters, most of them didn't speak English all that well.

Interesting about Tony's...I'm thinking about making an ADR there for February, as I love Lady and the Tramp and its the only thing in all of WDW that is themed from that movie. I'm not expecting much... as long as it as as good as Olive Garden, I'd be happy. My son loves spaghetti, that would be a plus.

And glad to hear that Rose and Crown was good. We're staying at the BC in February and I've been pressed to figure out where to eat in WS. We tried Nine Dragons on our past trip and it was terrible. We love VN, but I wanted another place, as well. Rose and Crown sounds like a good option! I also love English/Irish food and the bangers and mash are right up my alley!

Welcome! VN seems to get hit and miss reviews here. I am glad we had a "hit" day! I didn't expect much from Tony's either especially after past less than stellar meals. I, too, love Lady & the Tramp. That is the only reason I keep going back. But I am glad we did this trip! The one thing we have discovered that we do not like is the red sauce there. It is sweeter than we like our sauce.

R&C is really great. We have done both lunch and dinner ... although the which meal doesn't matter to me because I always get the bangers & mash! I vote that you give it a try!

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

We loved Kona Cafe for breakfast! We want to stay to Poly just so we can go there for breakfast every morning! Everything we had there was excellent! Sorry you didn't feel well that morning. I didn't feel well on our first trip to Kona for dinner a few years ago and it really does put a damper on the experience.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

We loved Kona Cafe for breakfast! We want to stay to Poly just so we can go there for breakfast every morning! Everything we had there was excellent! Sorry you didn't feel well that morning. I didn't feel well on our first trip to Kona for dinner a few years ago and it really does put a damper on the experience.

Thankfully I felt much much better after breakfast. It was hot, HOT H O T that morning. By the time we got the bus to MK, walked to the Contemporary and took the monorail to the Poly I was really wiped out. I think that played into feeling queasy when I got there.

The heat index that day was supposed to be 110! Thankfully a major storm came up in the afternoon and cool everything off must a bit!

 

[Linda67]

Great updates
I really want to try La Hacienda and I think following your review I will make sure I do!

 

[mousegear]

I love Kona breakfast! I am very glad that you enjoyed La Hacienda. We are meeting friends there and was little bit worried about mixed reviews.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Great updates
I really want to try La Hacienda and I think following your review I will make sure I do!

I love Kona breakfast! I am very glad that you enjoyed La Hacienda. We are meeting friends there and was little bit worried about mixed reviews.

I would to to Hacienda just for the avocado marguaritas! We definitely enjoyed our meal. I was nervous as well reading the reviews. Must do? Maybe not but we will definitely go back in the future.

 

[lizzyb]

Great reviews so far! We were at Kona at the same time...I would have been the other one taking pictures! LOL

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Great reviews so far! We were at Kona at the same time...I would have been the other one taking pictures! LOL

Ya know I remember seeing someone taking pictures at one of the restaurants we were in but I don't remember if it was Kona! I thought at the time that it must be a Diser but was afraid to say something!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

The Hacienda looks lovely - food and drink. Pity I'm the only mexican lover in this house. Still I'll live with the cs

 

[soontobewed07]

You are helping me make some important decisions like keep 'Ohana even though we have eaten there 100 times and keep Via Napoli after Nicki's review I knew I had to add it to the list.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

The Hacienda looks lovely - food and drink. Pity I'm the only mexican lover in this house. Still I'll live with the cs

Maybe you can convert them! DH never ate mexican food until we met. I had never eaten chinese food. Over the years we have both learned to love the other's favorite.

You are helping me make some important decisions like keep 'Ohana even though we have eaten there 100 times and keep Via Napoli after Nikki's review I knew I had to add it to the list.

I would definitely keep both!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Next review probably won't be til Saturday. I have a cold/sinus-y that is just wiping me out tonight and tomorrow is going to be a killer day at work.

I promise to get several days done this weekend!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Next review probably won't be til Saturday. I have a cold/sinus-y that is just wiping me out tonight and tomorrow is going to be a killer day at work.

I promise to get several days done this weekend!

Get better soon! I had that 2 weeks ago and I thought I was dying...turned out to be a severe sinus infection and had 2 weeks worth of meds to get rid of it.

 

[DLo]

Glad you liked La Hacienda - we are going for the 1st time next month. I go back and forth on Via Napoli - last year I had an adr and canceled - this year wanted to try LaHacienda more. May try the take out window from VN but hear its not the same pizza?

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Get better soon! I had that 2 weeks ago and I thought I was dying...turned out to be a severe sinus infection and had 2 weeks worth of meds to get rid of it.

Ugh, I hope it doesn't come to that!

Glad you liked La Hacienda - we are going for the 1st time next month. I go back and forth on Via Napoli - last year I had an adr and canceled - this year wanted to try LaHacienda more. May try the take out window from VN but hear its not the same pizza?

I heard the same thing. And I have to admit to our stupidity because we couldn't find the take out window! Ok, I should say that DH & DS couldn't find it. I didn't actually look.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Had to drop DS off at school early so I am at work way earlier than I want to be! Time for a quick update ... Breakfast at Kouzzzina.

I really tried to plan this trip with only two meals ... early lunch, signature dinner. But we did end up with a couple of three meal days. I really wanted to try Kouzzina and had to fit it in somewhere.

I started with Earl Grey tea & Juice

DH & DS split the pressed pot coffee

''
Our server, Silvanette, warned DS that the coffee is strong. Its funny that DS is the one that likes really strong coffee ... not so much DH! He said it was a bit strong for him and DS loved it. I don't drink coffee at all so I am no help.

For breakfast, DS had the Classic Waffle - With Whipped Mascarpone Cheese, Honey, chopped Pecans and a choice of Bacon or Chicken Sausage - $10.49

He really enjoyed this. Waffle was nice & crunchy, just the right sweetness from the mascarpone and honey. And decent bacon!

I had to try the Stacked Kouzzina Breakfast - Two Poached Eggs, Kalamata Olive toast, Artichoke Spread and Sweet potato Hash with choice of Bacon or Chicken Sausage - $11.99

I really enjoyed this as well. Especially the Kalamata Olive Toast. I love anything and everything olive. This was nice and salty with quite a few olive pieces. Our local bakery makes an olive bread but there are never enough olives in it for me. I wasn't a huge fan of the hash. I mostly picked out the white potatos. I like sweet potatos but just didn't care for this.

DH wanted to try something different and went with the Turkey-Sweet Potato Hash - With Two Eggs and Arugula Salad - $12.49

Unfortunately neither did DH so this wasn't really a successful breakfast for him. Not sure if there is a seasoning in the hash that neither of us liked?

We would definitely come back to Kouzzina and I would order the same thing as it was more than enough food without eating all of the hash. DH would order something else.

I definitely miss Spoodles espcially because the Kouzzina dinner menu does not thrill me. But this was a nice breakfast.

Total cost would have been $51.80 with nothing OOP.

We headed into EPCOT. Later while walking around the World Showcase they announced a surprise meet & greet with a bunch of characters by the American Pavillion. I had told DS that I wouldn't hunt down the characters this trip but I couldn't resist this one. We were right there with no line! (And yes, the Red Sox shirts made an appearance in WDW, too)

It was fun. Next up, lunch at Les Chefs de France!

 

[lizzyb]

Sorry you are feeling under the weather. I am slowly recuperating as well. Hope you feel better soon. The Kouzzina breakfast looks great!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Thank you for the Kouzzina pics! We are staying BWI so I know we will get there, I dont have a reservation yet but I am sure we can walk in

I have yet to see a pic of the waffle so I am very happy your son ordered it, tell him I said thanks a lot I think DH and I will order what you and your son had and share it, looks amazing!

Are you feeling any better?

 

[mousegear]

Hopefully, you get well soon! I've had this cold for almost two weeks now. I'm hoping that this thing will go away before we start our trip next week.

I've heard good things about Kouzina. I guess I'm not as adventurous so maybe try breakfast in the future. The waffles look really good.