Mouse Extra

The folks over at Epcot have decided to try to take better advantage of water side dining. For many years, the only eatery on the water was the Rose & Crown and the counter service in Mexico. Well, we now have a new table service spot in Mexico, La Hacienda de San Angel.

I had heard some mixed reviews of the place before going so I had some trepidation. The menu is somewhat limited and well, a tad pricey. But hey, what isn’t at the Mouse. I looked over the menu and saw some interesting choices. The appetizers looked good. And they had tequila flights.

I have to say that I really liked the place. First of all, the decor is light and pleasant. There is plenty of window space and even people farther away from the windows are seated higher to offer a decent view of the water and perhaps Illuminations. The queso fundido was a touch salty but over all pretty good. However, I really liked the mixed grill that I shared with my wife. And at about 50 bucks, it was not a bad deal. Plus, there was plenty. The steak was solid, but I really enjoyed both the chicken and chorizo.

Of course, I also had the tequila flight which might have helped to make the experience more enjoyable. There were also numerous specialty margaritas similiar to the ones over at La Cava del Tequila, another personal favorite.

As a side note, the restaraunt provides overflow seating for the counter service during lunch hours. We enjoyed a seat there during one rather hot day for lunch. It was a pleasantly cool spot. In any event, count me as one reviewer who very much enjoyed the new spot on the lagoon and I hope Disney continues in this direction.

A new wine bar is coming to Epcot in the not so distant future. The Gusto wine bar will be open on April 28th after a several month rehab of the Tutto Italia restaurant. According to Disney, the place will have the look and feel of an old italian wine cellar. Gusto will have a large fireplace, wood furniture and wine barrels as well as other interesting decor.

Plus, there will be food. Speculation is the food will be similiar to the La Cava del Tequila. That is, appetizer type. It seems this place will be modeled after the very well received (especially by this author) Cave of Tequila. I like the idea and hope it gets expanded into other areas of Epcot’s World Showcase. A quaint sake bar sounds like fun.

Nestled inside the pavilion at Mexico in the World Showcase is one of our favorite spots in Epcot, La Cava del Tequila. Its a nice reprieve from the heat and crowds of the World Showcase promenade. Mexico has one of the most interesting pavilions in Epcot with its small Mexican village at night atmosphere, and this specialty bar fits perfectly with that theme. But be warned, it is small and holds only 20 or so people.

The bar has over 70 types of tequila but you don’t need to be a tequila aficionado to appreciate this spot. In fact, we knew almost nothing of tequila before trying this place out. We always thought tequila was just tequila. One way to sample the different kinds of tequila is to have a tequila flight, which consists of 3 very different kinds of the alcohol. The flight has a blanco, which is not aged as long and is milder, a reposado, which is stronger but smooth and is my favorite, and anejo, which aged for at least a year and may make the hair fall off of your chest. Save the sangrita (a bloody mary like chaser) for after the anejo.

Any place that specializes in tequila is sure to have margaritas and this has a wide variety of the drink. This list includes pineapple, cucumber, jalapeno, and avocado margaritas. Our favorite was the blood orange version which combines silver tequila, triple sec, and a blood orange juice/hibiscus syrup mixture.

If you are hungry, there are some tapas-style appetizers, but the attraction here is the alcohol.

Today’s article is from Mike and Brooke, contributing writers to Mouse Extra

This world showcase icon has consistently been the most popular dining spot in all of Walt Disney World. Sone of us here at Mouse Extra agree with that position atop the most saught after ADRs. Others, namely me, feel the place is overrated. Well, now its overpriced.

Anyone who knows anything about the goings on at the Mouse knows about the Dining plan. For a set amount per person, you get credits at counter service and table service eateries during the course of your stay. Most sit down restaurants cost you a single table service credit. A few places, the cream of the crop so to speak, cost you two. Starting today, Le Cellier is a 2 credit table service restaurant.

To be honest, this has been a long time coming. Le Cellier is always the first ADR to fill up in a single day. Thus, the demand is there. Unlike many other 2 credit places, however, the prices were not through the roof.

Until now that is. Illuminatingepcot.com has posted the new menu. There are changes a plenty. The biggest being the price. The famous cheddar cheese soup, once $5.50 or 6.99 depending on the size, is now a cool 9 bucks, several items like the coffee rubbed steak seems to have been pulled off the menu entirely.

So what does this mean? Well, first of all, it shows in full effect the problems with the Dining Plan. The only reason the price went up is because Disney made it a 2 credit establishment. I can only imagine this will have an effect on the how quickly the ADRs are used up. I would think this will quickly become an easier place to find a ressie.

One thing is certain, I won’t be there. I had a bad experience there last time with service and just don’t think its worth the hassle. I know don’t think its worth the price either.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

And it’s Via Napoli. The information was obtained by AllEarsNet. Apparently, the new pizzeria will seat about 300 people and will have wood fire ovens. Besides, southern italy style pizzas, you will be able to get pastas, salads, sandwiches and wine. You can get a look at the new restaurant by clicking here.  As you can see, there is some outdoor seating, a nice plus for the beautiful pavilion.

 
According to AllEarsNet and the Patina Group (who also operates nearby Tutto Italia), the secret ingredient is the water which will be imported. It does not say the water is from Naples but instead most closely resembles the H2O from that region. Before you scoff, however, you should keep in mind that many consider the pizza from New York City to be the best in the country for that very reason- the high quality tap water from the city.
 
One thing is for certain, the Floridian water makes for some bad pizza, so this can only be an upgrade. I look forward to having a good slice at Walt Disney World. It will be another first.

Today’s posting if from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

Teppan Edo has become one of the most popular restaraunts in all of Epcot and even in the entire Walt Disney World. And for good reason. The place is a lot of fun and the food is terrific.
 
Located at the Japan pavillon in the World Showcase, the restarant shares the second floor above the Mitsukoshi Department Store with the sushi place, Tokyo Dining. In fact, you check in at the same desk for either place. That means there tends to be quite a lot of people milling about at meal times.

 
Once called, you are ushered into one of several rooms each with a few long tables where you are introduced to your server and, shortly thereafter, your chef. For our table, which we shared with 6 other guests, that man was Kenji, who was quite the showman. The meal starts off with Kenji making an onion volcano, stacking the rings of the onion so that steam comes shooting out the top. The kids loved it.
 
For food, you can order one of several teppan choices. The chicken was great as was the veggies with udon noodles. The saki and the saki rita were good complements. There is a kids’ menu but our daughter, a finicky eater, did not enjoy it. Our son, however, loved it. He loved the food, the show and the fact that he could use chop sticks, albeit with a rubber band.
 
Teppan Edo is a fun place to eat, although I imagine much of the fun depends on the chef and we lucked out with Kenji. The food though can stand on its own.

Today’s review if from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra