Help me decide - Napa Rose or Carthay Circle with WoC?

[MinMou]

We are planning to get a sitter for one night while we are at DLR, and I wanted to spend it eating a meal where I don't have to cut up food for a toddler. I originally planned to make a reservation for Napa Rose, but then I read great things about Carthay Circle. I love fireworks, DH not so much. Which venue would you pick? I understand that these 2 restaurants share a head chef; is there a noticeable difference in the food at these two? And has anyone had the WoC menu at CC?

 

[Aladora]

We are planning to get a sitter for one night while we are at DLR, and I wanted to spend it eating a meal where I don't have to cut up food for a toddler. I originally planned to make a reservation for Napa Rose, but then I read great things about Carthay Circle. I love fireworks, DH not so much. Which venue would you pick? I understand that these 2 restaurants share a head chef; is there a noticeable difference in the food at these two? And has anyone had the WoC menu at CC?

If your budget can handle it, I would eat at the Napa Rose chef's counter. Other than that, we've done CC WOC dinner twice and have enjoyed it both times.

 

[MinMou]

THank you for reminding me Aladora! Is the chef's counter meal a set menu or is it just whatever the chef feels like making that day? I have some food restrictions, so I am usually reluctant to do chef's tables

 

[Aladora]

THank you for reminding me Aladora! Is the chef's counter meal a set menu or is it just whatever the chef feels like making that day? I have some food restrictions, so I am usually reluctant to do chef's tables

There are a few options for the chef's counter, one of them is letting chef pick a tasting menu for you. We did this and absolutely loved it. The chef talks to you before the meal and asks about allergies, restrictions and likes/dislikes. We did the wine pairing as well and it was wonderful.

 

[4Siamese]

During our April trip we ate at both restaurants, both were extremely good but unless you really have your heart set on seeing WOC thru the CC pass area then IMO there is no other decision then Napa Rose. I can not recommend Napa Rose highly enough, It is an incredible dinning experience no matter how you "slice" it.

Either way you will have a enjoyable time.

 

[ADLFAN]

The Chef's Counter at NR has a pretty adventurous menu for me personally, but if you eat seafood or sweetbreads often... Haha! I am just not that grown up yet!

We did love our WOC lunch at Carthay Circle, and the menu had plenty of choices for us. The restaurant is also very pretty, with a nice lounge to maybe grab a pre dinner drink. Our service was great, but then the hostess seated a single guy in the tiny two top next to ours and it kinda killed the romance... If I was a bit more outspoken I might have suggested one party scooted over to the other two two top tables across the aisle. But as I am not, we all just ate in uncomfortable silence after we got done listening to his phone call...

I plan on returning and hopefully securing better seating arrangements on our next trip in August/September.

 

[CassieF]

You can order off the regular menu at the chefs counter, or you can go with the chef's tasting menu, which is what I always do. The chef will talk to you about restrictions, allergies, etc. and Napa Rose will be far more able to accommodate special dietary needs then Carthay. At Napa I feel like they can practically do anything!

 

[thumpie's mom]

Carthay Circle is excellent and would highly recommend it. The WoC is something you need to see and having the combination of CC and WoC is a win-win.

 

[calilou]

My recommendation is to do NR for your date night. Unbeatable! What about doing CC for the WOC lunch package? Then you can still experience a wonderful meal there but also get great seats for the WOC show that your kids will appreciate.

 

[whoever]

NR hands down. My food at Carthay was low-flavor, poorly prepared, and delivered cold. My meal at Napa was one of the best meals of my life if not the best.

Did a write-up here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ma...-halloween-party.3344654/page-2#post-52996098

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Both restaurants do share a head chef (Andrew Sutton), but he is not always in the kitchen at either place. Often you will see Chef Gloria at NR and Chef Alex at CCR (although they also sometimes switch locations with each other). We've found that the food at NR is best when Chef Sutton is in the kitchen. And we enjoy CCR best when Chef Gloria is there. Whichever location you choose, don't be afraid to speak up about any menu questions, food issues, even seating issues. If you want a romantic seating location, make sure the host or hostess knows when you check in.

 

[carisa81]

I'd love to the CCR for the World of Color! We ate there last week, for the first time, and loved it! I've never seen World of Color, so I'll have to give that a try next time.