Veggin' at Epcot

Epcot has always been a favorite Disney park of mine. I think I've been at least a dozen times. There's just something so relaxing about strolling around the countries, stopping for drinks and snacks along the way. And I'm loving the return of Captain EO right now! It's just as awesome as when I saw it back in the '80s.

My husband and I had the opportunity to go to Epcot with some friends on Saturday, and the park was probably the most packed I've ever experienced. Even though the Food & Wine Festival is in full swing right now (ending November 14), we opted to forgo the featured 75 different types of cuisine and 300 varieties of wine, and instead we ate at restaurants within the countries ... including the brand new La Hacienda de San Angel restaurant in Mexico. (Hang on, I'll come back to this!)

Lunch was at the Tangierine Cafe in the Morocco Pavilion. In the past I tended to pass by the Moroccan restaurants, but I realize now it's such a great spot for a quick and healthy vegetarian meal. My husband and I split the Vegetable Platter ($10.99), which had hummus, Moroccan bread, tabouleh, lentil salad, couscous salad, and a greens salad with falafel balls on top. It wasn't until after we finished that I realized I forgot to snap a photo. But we were hungry and it didn't take long for us to finish off the platter anyway.

The real highlight was dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel. The expansion is located on the site of the quick-service Cantina de San Angel in Mexico. There's still an outdoor quick-service area, but the new indoor section is a casual sit-down with table service. The vegetarian options are limited on the menu, but when I asked our waitress if there was a vegetarian entree selection, she whipped out a special menu card with four veg choices. I ordered the vegetable tacos and my husband the vegetable enchiladas (both $18.99). These aren't the greasy, cheesy, fatty tacos and enchiladas we've all become accustomed to at so many Mexican restaurants. Instead these are fresh and light with great flavors.

Vegetable tacos

The tacos are two small flour tortillas topped with black beans, a variety of roasted vegetables and corn, and a creamy sauce.

Vegetable enchiladas

The enchiladas have roasted vegetables with flour tortillas topped with a tomatillo sauce, queso fresco, and shredded red cabbage. Both entrees were excellent. As were the margaritas!

The Nitty Gritty
What: La Hacienda de San Angel
Where: Epcot
Reservations: Disney Dining