RSR's Culinary Trip Report (9/26/12-10/5/12)

[radiatorspringsracer]

Since I have now officially migrated from other board to this one, I would like to say hello!
My name is Patrick and am a Disney enthusiast with passion for everything Disney, but especially music.
As a student at Arizona State University Music School, I take great pride in knowing every Disney songs.
Annual Passholder for eight years and plan on being one forever!
I would like to start off my introduction with a trip report!

My trip will be from September 26th (Today!) until October 5th.
The trip will be centered around my culinary quest as I was able to get an opportunity to try out all full service restaurants in the resort.

I will constantly update my report with pictures and reviews of restaurants as well as our trip in general.
Here is my vacation details as follows.

Cast - Myself (21), Brother (19), and Mom!
Where We Staying? - Disneyland Hotel (9/26/12-9/30/12)
Grand Californian Hotel (9/30/12-10/5/12)
Where We Eating?: Steakhouse 55, Carthay Circle Restautant, Big Thunder Barbecue, Carnation Cafe, Cafe Orleans, Blue Bayou, Stroyteller's Cafe, Napa Rose, Wine Country Trattoria, and few Counter Service Restaurants (Village Haus Restaurant, Ghiradelli Soda Fountain, Award Weiners, Rancho del Zocalo, among others.)

I can't wait to embark on this magical vacation once more and share my culinary experience with you as well.
Stay tuned, please!

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

Well I was able to get time off from work but not from school so will be on vacation mode around noon.

We will probably arrive around 8 or so after doing everything we plan on doing so probably nothing much to report with the first day. Stay tuned!

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

Let's get this Culinary Report going.

Our first stop in the culinary trip was a nice breakfast at a renowned Steakhouse 55 at Disneyland Hotel. The restaurant is hidden behind the Coffee House and Goofy's Kitchen which led to some adventuring on our part. When we got to the restaurant, our hostess took us to the gorgeous room with pictures of celebrities including Joe DiMaggio, Carey Grant and Marilyn Monroe and promptly set us in the middle.

The dining room was beautiful and we had a view of the wine cellar with the table being mostly white (cover, plates, and even chairs were.) There were quite a bit of guests in there for Thursday morning but the overall atmosphere was very quiet. It was hard for me to talk at all because of the volume that was already set by others.

Menu was simple with usual breakfast favorites to few unique products. After looking over the options, we came down to these three dishes.

French Toast with Warm Berries

Very moist and the toast had a good flavor to it. The syrup accented the flavor quite well and made for a delicious french toast. Berries were not sweet at all and added a good complement to the overall sweet dish.

All American Breakfast

The usual breakfast menu at most restaurants The potatoes were the best part of the dish. Everything else to be honest was good but can be ordered anywhere in the restaurant. No complaints though.

Build Your Own Omelet

Our omelet was built with bacon, peppers, and avocado. Absolutely delicious and generous.

Final Verdict
It was a good start to a day as the food was delicious and the atmosphere was fantastic. There were some negatives such as service being average (order put in wrong, slow) and taking up little too much time in the morning, but the best part about the restaurant was its price. For few dollars more, we were able to get higher quality breakfast then we would have at our normal stops in Riverbelle Terrace or Whitewater Snacks.

RSR's Score: 6 out of 10.

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

Next on the list is Big Thunder Barbecue.

Restaurant is a family style dinner and we got there around 11:30AM for our reservation. We were seated right up by the stage and the server came out immediately with a bucket full of clean wipes and tongs. He took our drink order and explained us how the restaurant worked. He was one of the most attentive servers this trip and he along with all of the cast members there were excellent.

The show started towards the end of our meal at 12:30PM but the part that we caught was pretty entertaining. Anyways, onto the food.

The Feast

We were brought bucket full of pork ribs and chicken which were smothered in delicious barbecue sauce. Both meats just fell off the bone and was so tender and juicy. Baked beans was the usual that we get at barbecue restaurants but the cole slaw was crisp and flavorful. Cornbread was also delicious.

Drink Jar

Nothing special about the drink but awesome jar to drink out of.

Big Thunder Sundae

For dessert, we were so full off of our main feast, we opted for a casual sundae. It was quite delicious but rather plain. Vanilla ice cream with fudge and whip cream. But who doesn't like a plain sundae.

Final Verdict
Never ending food, great atmosphere, friendly staff.

RSR's Rating: 7 out of 10

 

[kathymac]

Great report so far and love the pictures! We are going to DL soon and will be eating at many of the same places so I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

[madmaxx]

The focus on food and service is awesome, can't wait to read more.

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

So where did we decide to go after these two meals? The one and only Carnation Cafe. We were lucky to have ran into Chef Oscar along the way as well.

We were seated inside the newly renovated space and was greeted by our server immediately. I believe his name was Garret and he was very attentive and friendly. He brought us our drinks immediately and gave us ample space while not being once late with his service.

I really liked the renovation they have done and gives us the option of sitting inside and out. The indoor dining area was small but very comfortable and warm. And the food was still out of this world.

Oatmeal Cakes with Berry Puree

Delicious. You could taste the oatmeal and all the grains within the cakes while not being overpowered by the puree that was served over the cakes. The portion was very generous with three cakes in a plate.

Ham and Cheese Omelet

It was a standard omelet with potatoes but good. You can't beat a good omelet in the morning.

Huevos Rancheros

Absolutely the best breakfast dish in the resort. The thin crisp of tortilla was topped with delicious avocado, black beans, salsa, and egg which was not cooked all the way, which enhanced the flavor quite a bit. Great presentation. Only knock would be the portion was way small.

Final Verdict
You know I have always been fond of Carnation Cafe but have been very impressed by the service and food this time. I mean the price is very similar to that of counter service restaurants but the food was much better in quality and taste. Good spot for breakfast if you're not in a rush in the morning.

RSR's Rating: 9 out of 10.

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

Taking a quick break from full service restaurants, we decided to make a quick pit stop at one of our favorites in the park, Award Weiners in Hollywoodland.

The place is located about half way down the Hollywoodland to the left from the main entrance. Right by the entrance to the inner section holding that of Muppet Vision 3D (Frankenweenie Preview,) Monsters Inc., and Mad T Party, the hot dog place has become one of our favorites over the years with menu items such as Chili Cheese Dog, Sicilian Dog, and Portobello Mushroom Dog.

This time though, we decided to try a special menu dedicated to one special movie.

Fusion Lemonade

I believe this was a lemonade with grape foam to top it off. Very good and the syrup didn't overpower the taste of the lemonade. Not too incredibly sweet either which is a plus.

Franken-Weenie

Absolutely divine. I hope this remains on the menu but I might be pushing it. The extra thick hot dog was wrapped with bacon, then placed on onion bread topped with carmelized onion and hint of barbecue sauce. Best hot dog in the resort but one thing to note, the lines and service takes a while with these dogs because of the time to prepare them.

Sicilian Dog

Had to have one of our all time favorites. Simple bratwurst topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Final Verdict
What can I say? I simply love innovative hot dogs and with this new dog? Nailed it.

RSR's Rating: 8 out of 10.

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

Alright back to my full service restaurant quest. What good is a culinary report at Disneyland without mentioning the one and only Blue Bayou.

We got there early and held out for the water side table (after all, that's half the fun in it.) We were taken to our beautiful table with single lit candle overlooking the bayou. The atmosphere, like always was excellent and can't beat being part of Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Our hostess and waitress were both excellent. Hostess was friendly with conversation and waitress met all our needs. They along with other cast members truly created the magical experience for us at Blue Bayou.

Bread Basket

Chewy and hard, but made for a great complement with our starters.

Chicken Gumbo

Absolutely gorgeous. Best soup in the resort in my opinion.

House Salad

Dressing complemented the crisp lettuce so well in this dish. Very clean and refreshing plate.

Royal Street Jambalaya

Spicy but delightful. Great mixture of shrimp, fish, and crawfish within the entree. Not too overpowering either.

Buccaneer's Short Rib

My go to dish at the restaurant. It was very tender and the potatoes were good complement. Too much gravy however.

Wild Boar

This was a seasonal menu. It was a wild boar chop with orange concentration sauce served with potato and fruit skewer. It was interesting combination of ingredients and flavors but was good.

Pecan Tart

We chose Pecan Tart as our dessert and was pleasantly surprised by how mild the pecan tart was. It wasn't too sweet like others but was plenty good in its own right. Very good.

Final Verdict
As much as I like their food, and I love their food, you pay for the atmosphere. The atmosphere and the experience cannot be beat, but compared to other restaurants (Carthay Circle, Storyteller's Cafe, Napa Rose, Wine Country Trattoria to be followed in the report) it was little overpriced and the food was not as good as the other. It's a must however and the reason why I say this is not because the food here was bad, but other place was that much better.

RSR's Rating: 7 out of 10.

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

Great report so far and love the pictures! We are going to DL soon and will be eating at many of the same places so I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

I hope I can help with some of my reviews. It's so much fun getting to eat at all these places.

 

[radiatorspringsracer]

The focus on food and service is awesome, can't wait to read more.

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Loving the report so far! It will be our first time eating at the Blue Bayou in a couple of weeks so your pictures are very helpful.

Big Thunder Barbecue is one of our all time favourites and we can't wait to get back there!

Looking forward to the rest!