Don't Miss Carthay Circle!

[Amommy21]

We are lucky enough to be treated to Napa Rose on our visits to DL. SO we were excited to try out CC. DH made lunch reservations so we could get WOC viewing.

Our reservation was during a heat wave after and early morning to Cars Land. And by lunch time I wasn't feeling well. BUT Carthay Circle was just what we needed to reset for the day!

Heirloom Tomato Salad - with Wild Arugula, Parmesan Dressing, and Lemon Olive Oil Sorbet.

And let me tell you… a few bites into this salad and a glass of ice water and I felt SOOOOO MUCH BETTER!

DH had lamb and some kind of biscuits. DS order kids mini tacos, beans and rice, which he gobbled up.

For my main entrée I selected

Bacon-wrapped Shrimp - on Summer Roasted Corn, Grilled Zucchini, and Basil Salsa

I can't wait to see what their winter menu offers!

 

[MagicMomma1]

This is good to hear! We have lunch reservations set for next week when we visit the park and are really looking forward to dining there. That heirloom tomato salad sounds wonderful, too.

What did you think of the decor? How was your service? If there were any children in your party, what was the experience of dining there like for them?

 

[nunzia]

Another vote for Carthay Circle..just love it. They need some help on training their servers, but overall very nice.

 

[whodini]

We ate lunch there yesterday. Service was great. Food was amazing. And the cocktails were top notch. I highly recommend the Pimms Punch. The WoC reserved seating was just the cherry on top.

 

[Amommy21]

Dress up as best you can. There is no dress code... but the decor is elegant. I saw a lot of people who seemed uncomfortable. Remember, old hollywood was about being out to be seen, so the style of the place and the tables are set up for this. Obviously they know people are there touring. DH and DS wore nice Aloha shirts and tan shorts. We were there during a major heat wave and it couldn't be avoided. But I wished I would have changed into a skirt.

DS is 10 years old and used to eating out at fine restaurants. DS is also used to ordering off adult menus or sharing with us. He ended up choosing mini tacos that came with a side of beans and rice from the kids menu. They were very simple. But as I said in my first post, he gobbled them up and at Disneyland I try not to let him over eat and simple is best for growing tummies.

The room we were seated in had a lot of L shaped tables set for 4. We watched two parties sit down and ask to be moved as they felt squished. As a party of 3 we were fine. I think they mostly just might have felt uncomfortable about the surroundings.

We recognized our server from Napa Rose, where she previously worked as a food runner. Wonderful customer service. We really enjoyed our meal and it might not be good for out pocket books, but this is for sure a new tradition when we visit!

To get WOC tickets you must order TWO entrees and an appetizer.

 

[BriannaRuth]

We had dinner there last week. We stopped in the bar area first for drinks; DH had a Manhattan with the ice ball in it (excellent) and I had the pear martini (no ice ball, but also excellent). Once at the table, I ordered their Dill Gin and Tonic which I hated. I am a fan of aromatics and different kinds of gin, but honestly this drink tasted like drinking something that came out of a pickle barrel. It did have pickle brine in it, but I was expecting something a little more subtle.

I thought the food was fantastic, but our service was not up to the level of the food. It was not rude or anything like that, it just wasn't what I would expect from an upscale restaurant. For instance, the hostess led us to two different tables before finding the right one. The server was not knowledgeable about food and wine pairings and was unable to make wine suggestions that made any sense. When he did pour the wine, he just poured it in the glass and left without waiting to see if it was okay or not.

I was also a little surprised at how unwilling they were to vary at all from the requirement of a split appetizer, 2 dinners and a split dessert to get WOC. You could actually do this for around $100. We spent a lot more than that (over $200) because we ordered cocktails and wine. We ordered the appetizer (duck wings, which were good) and the two entrees (rack of lamb, which was very good and quail, also very good), then after dinner DH ordered a coffee drink and I ordered a Brandy Alexander. In my mind this should have more than satisfied the purchase requirement, yet the server told us we still had to order the dessert. Evidently drinking your dessert doesn't count. There was nothing on the dessert menu that really appealed to me, but we ordered the Banana Monte Cristo, which was okay.

The furnishings in the main dining room were great. It had a very elegant feel to it. But they also had seating in a side room that was completely different. Very plain. They eventually ended up seating us there after we walked around with the confused hostess for several minutes, but we asked to sit elsewhere and were accommodated.

There were a lot of people there dressed very casually. Also people who evidently weren't all that used to upscale restaurants ... I saw more than one table of parents who were letting their kids put their dirty shoes on the upholstered seats, etc. It was obviously still Disneyland!

All in all, it was very good but I didn't think it compared to the nicer restaurants at Disneyworld.

 

[MagicMomma1]

All of this feedback on CCR is great... And actually appropriate dress WAS one of my main concerns, i.e. the feasibility of wearing the type of attire a place like that deserves vs. the practicality of dressing for the park (esp. when it's sure to be warm!). I think I'll dress my children (matching) in seersucker pants and white pocket tees with seersucker newsboy caps.... As for momma and daddy... still have to figure that out but don't want to look sloppy! This is a total aside here... but do you ever watch those little clips of old Disneyland home movies? I can never get over how slim and trim and well-groomed everyone looks! Women going to the park in heels and girdles... Such a different era!

 

[pixiewings71]

I am a fan of CCT as well. DD16 and I ate there the day after her birthday, we dressed in jean capris, tank tops, tennis shoes and had our pin lanyards and park bags as well, we didn't feel under-dressed or uncomfortable at all. Our server was simply perfect!! She asked us a few questions, noted DD's birthday notation on the reservation and wished her a Happy Birthday. She gave us enough time to make our meal choices, even suggested what to order for the WoC seating. ie, 1 shared appetizer and 1 shared dessert. She was extremely knowledgeable regarding the wine list and when I told her the wine I preferred and the dish I was ordering she heartily agreed with my choice. She poured, let me taste and after I approved I got a full glass of a delicious wine that perfectly complimented my Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (it was a Coppola named for his daughter Sophia, it was a rose and it was delicious). We ordered a great dessert as well. We were very happy with the decision to eat there, the decor, the staff, the food, it was top notch for our visit!

Also, I wanted to say that we had eaten at Club 33 the day before (on DD's actual birthday) and we honestly felt the service at CCT was just as stellar as the service at Club 33. At neither place did our water glasses ever go under half full, we always had someone checking on us at the perfect time, DD ordered her burger without something (I can't remember what now) and it came with it on it, they whisked it away and brought her a new burger within minutes, my shrimp wasn't even cold by the time it was replaced. No complaints from us!

The following month we sat in the lounge with DBF's parents and had a drink and some small bites, again, excellent service and great food. I wouldn't hesitate to go back.

 

[TheZue]

Yay I'm excited for our lunch there Has anyone tried the peach desert? That looks interesting.

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

We'll be having dinner there in just over a week! This thread makes me SUPER excited!!! I'll try and photograph everything we order and post back when we get home.

 

[Tiradan]

I visited Carthay Circle three times over this past weekend. I absolutely love this place. I especially like the lounge where my friend and I spent a lot of time just hanging out, eating and drinking. I took pictures of every page of the lounge menu, current as of Monday, September 3, 2012:

 

[Rainforest_Elf]

I visited Carthay Circle three times over this past weekend. I absolutely love this place. I especially like the lounge where my friend and I spent a lot of time just hanging out, eating and drinking. I took pictures of every page of the lounge menu, current as of Monday, September 3, 2012:

Tiradan, you are now my favorite disboard member of all time. OF ALL TIME!

 

[dvc_john]

I'm going to Cathay Circle tomorrow for World of Color lunch. It's nice to happen on this thread today.

Tiradan: All 5 Disneylands in one year is quite a feat! I've been to all 5 Disneyland/Magic Kingdom (all 11 Disney parks), but the most in any given year was 3 Disneylands (7 parks). I think I'm going to have to plan a trip to Shanghai in a few years>

 

[PetePanMan]

Our family of 5 went to Carthay for lunch a couple of days ago - it was the favorite meal (by far) for the whole trip. You must try the firecracker duck wing appetizer - unbelievable!

 

[Tiradan]

Tiradan, you are now my favorite disboard member of all time. OF ALL TIME!

LOL. Thanks. I hope you have a great time when you visit CCR!

 

[tchrrx]

My DH is really wanting to try CC in March. Would you recommend eating lunch or dinner there and why?

(BTW- I am planning a secret meal at Napa Rose Chef Counter for dinner one night.)

 

[Tiradan]

I don't think the menu between lunch and dinner is too different. Anaheim has an average high of 73F in March, so maybe outside seating for lunch would be good (but not for dinner since the average low is 51F).

Aside from lunch or dinner, I would definitely try the lounge at some point. I had such a great time there and cannot wait to go back.

 

[hulliechrisp]

just made lunch reservations for saturday, october 6...can't wait!

 

[Tiradan]

Tiradan: All 5 Disneylands in one year is quite a feat! I've been to all 5 Disneyland/Magic Kingdom (all 11 Disney parks), but the most in any given year was 3 Disneylands (7 parks). I think I'm going to have to plan a trip to Shanghai in a few years>

Thanks. I'm really excited to visit them all in one year. I'm actually considering doing all 5 in one month next year, starting in Anaheim and ending in Tokyo.

On a map it would look like this

And I can't wait for Shanghai, I've already set side enough airline miles to get me to PVG. I plan on being there opening day.