My Disneyland dining reviews, with pictures

[Sherry E]

Catal, Tortilla Jo's and Naples in Downtown Disney are now offering Happy Hour!


Catal's Happy Hour schedule is Mon-Fri, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Menu is here: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurants/52/menus/Catal-restaurant-Happy_Hour.pdf

Tortilla Jo's Happy Hour schedule is Mon-Fri, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Menu is here: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurants/53/menus/Tortilla-Jos-Happy-Hour-Menu.pdf

Naples' Happy Hour schedule is Mon-Fri, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Menu is here: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurants/43/menus/Naples-Ristorante-Happy-Hour.pdf



Also, from the Disney Food Blog, "Dining in Disneyland: Diamond Celebration Chocolate Cake from Plaza Inn" -- posted on July 29, 2015 By Heather S. - http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/...nd-celebration-chocolate-cake-from-plaza-inn/

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[kylie71]

The cake looks interesting, even though I am not a huge fan of chocolate either.... it is good for splitting.
M fave dessert at the Plaza Inn is the Strawberry Shortcake...
I LOVE the Fried Chicken though!! its the best anywhere!

--Lori

 

[Sherry E]

The cake looks interesting, even though I am not a huge fan of chocolate either.... it is good for splitting.
M fave dessert at the Plaza Inn is the Strawberry Shortcake...
I LOVE the Fried Chicken though!! its the best anywhere!

--Lori

I like chocolate cake sometimes, but it has to be a very specific, basic type of chocolate cake. I prefer just basic chocolate cake with basic chocolate frosting -- no fruit or anything else in the filling, and no compote -- more along the lines of what we'd bake from a cake mix, or from scratch, at home when I was a kid. Grocery stores sells cakes and cupcakes that still have that "cake-ish" taste, complete with frosting that tastes like frosting. A lot of times, when cakes and cupcakes are served in restaurants or in high-end bakeries, they are too... what's the word I want... 'fancy' for me, I guess. The frosting or ganache is too rich, or too heavy, and it never tastes like the frostings I grew up with!

I tried a piece of chocolate cake at Plaza Inn a few years ago -- not this one linked above, obviously -- and I did not care for it because it was not my kind of chocolate cake. Other people might love it, though.

As far as fruity cakes, I love me some strawberry shortcake! I also like lemon cake, with a nice lemon frosting and filling.

 

[Diznygrl]

That chocolate "cake" sounds like they're trying too hard to make something unique and ended up with a mess of flavors. I agree with Sherry, I am usually not a fan of what passes for chocolate cake in restaurants these days, trying to make it all fancy and thereby losing all of its simple cakey goodness. And is it just me or has Disney been overdoing it with mousse desserts these days.

 

[Sherry E]

That chocolate "cake" sounds like they're trying too hard to make something unique and ended up with a mess of flavors. I agree with Sherry, I am usually not a fan of what passes for chocolate cake in restaurants these days, trying to make it all fancy and thereby losing all of its simple cakey goodness. And is it just me or has Disney been overdoing it with mousse desserts these days.

You are absolutely correct -- they have been mousse-ing it up over at DLR in the last few years! I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it, and now (when thinking back on some of the menu options I noticed) I realize that there has been a lot of mousse floating around! I just like plain, simple, basic, familiar desserts -- and not everything has to have mousse in it.

 

[kylie71]

I tried the Christmas cupcake, last year at the Jolly Holiday, and to be honest it was gross!
It was a Deviled Food chocolate, which I am not a fan of in the first place, and the green and red "Ganache" frosting was like eating Crisco, it stuck to your teeth and roof of your mouth........ YUK!
What is Ganache anyway? Give me old fashioned Butter Cream frosting any day!!

--Lori

 

[Xenorye]

I like chocolate cake sometimes, but it has to be a very specific, basic type of chocolate cake. I prefer just basic chocolate cake with basic chocolate frosting -- no fruit or anything else in the filling, and no compote -- more along the lines of what we'd bake from a cake mix, or from scratch, at home when I was a kid. Grocery stores sells cakes and cupcakes that still have that "cake-ish" taste, complete with frosting that tastes like frosting. A lot of times, when cakes and cupcakes are served in restaurants or in high-end bakeries, they are too... what's the word I want... 'fancy' for me, I guess. The frosting or ganache is too rich, or too heavy, and it never tastes like the frostings I grew up with!

I tried a piece of chocolate cake at Plaza Inn a few years ago -- not this one linked above, obviously -- and I did not care for it because it was not my kind of chocolate cake. Other people might love it, though.

As far as fruity cakes, I love me some strawberry shortcake! I also like lemon cake, with a nice lemon frosting and filling.

I'm the same way. My favorite dessert in the world is Duncan Hines Devil's Food Chocolate Cake. If it wasn't so darn good, they wouldn't sell millions and millions of boxes, right?

 

[CallieMar]

Also, from the Disney Food Blog, "Dining in Disneyland: Diamond Celebration Chocolate Cake from Plaza Inn" -- posted on July 29, 2015 By Heather S. - http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/...nd-celebration-chocolate-cake-from-plaza-inn/

I tried this cake last week (Rancho del Zocalo also had it). I didn't see the description, so was wondering what all of those different flavors were. The flavors were very interesting, although I do love a really good, really chocolate-y basic cake!

 

[skellinton]

I tried the Christmas cupcake, last year at the Jolly Holiday, and to be honest it was gross!
It was a Deviled Food chocolate, which I am not a fan of in the first place, and the green and red "Ganache" frosting was like eating Crisco, it stuck to your teeth and roof of your mouth........ YUK!
What is Ganache anyway? Give me old fashioned Butter Cream frosting any day!!

--Lori

Ganache is just melted chocoate thinned with whipping cream. If you have good chocolate it is delicious! It has its time and place though, as does mousse. I agree sometimes you just want a good old fashioned cake with real buttercream frosting. The mousse typically used in cakes isn't anything like a real mousse though, a real mousse is rich and made with raw eggs, so many resteraunts don't even have real mousse, it is more just chocolate mixed with whipped cream, not nearly as rich or delicious.

I also agree that fruit has no business infecting chocolate cake, or any other chocolate dessert, frankly!


Now I want a chocolate cake!

 

[Sherry E]

Tom Bell did a great blog about the new Beach Side Bonfire Buffet at the PCH Grill! http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/b...fet-opens-at-disneylands-paradise-pier-hotel/

 

[CallieMar]

Tom Bell did a great blog about the new Beach Side Bonfire Buffet at the PCH Grill! http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/b...fet-opens-at-disneylands-paradise-pier-hotel/

The buffet sounds amazing! I like seeing everyone's pictures and thoughts on it. We don't usually go too far out of the way for meals when in the parks, but this would be great for our arrival day if we can manage it.

 

[petals]

Yum! That looks like the delicious old Tigger Tail before it was covered in those ghastly sprinkles.

I had the Olaf wand and Tigger Tail and the Olaf wand was waaaaaaaaaaay yummier

 

[petals]

Speaking of the Tigger Tail.. some sweet treats from Pooh's Corner:

And of course the famous Tigger Tail:

 

[Sherry E]

"Review: Disneyland 60th Diamond Anniversary Drinks at Jolly Holiday Bakery" -- Disney Food Blog; posted on August 7, 2015, by AJ - http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/...d-anniversary-drinks-at-jolly-holiday-bakery/

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[celticfury]

Tom Bell did a great blog about the new Beach Side Bonfire Buffet at the PCH Grill! http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/b...fet-opens-at-disneylands-paradise-pier-hotel/

Does anyone know if this will still be available in Sept/Oct ?

 

[kylie71]

Thank You, Sherry!

The Silver Sparkler looks very tasty! I wonder if the Diamond cubes run on batteries?? They say they can be re-used...... its a Fun idea!

--Lori

 

[Sherry E]

Does anyone know if this will still be available in Sept/Oct ?

I don't think anyone actually knows how long this particular themed buffet is sticking around -- it is so new, so we haven't seen the seasons change just yet to find out what happens to it beyond summer. To me, the Beach Side Bonfire theme comes across as very summer-ish. However, the whole theme of the PCH Grill restaurant and the Paradise Pier Hotel revolves around the beach, surf, sun, etc. So, the buffet might not be a summer-only thing (especially since it didn't get started at the beginning of the season). It could just be an ongoing PCH Grill thing.

However, even if the "Beach Side Bonfire" name continues, I would have to imagine that some of the actual dishes at the buffet will be swapped out for more fall and winter-oriented foods. For example, the strawberry shortcake station that is there now could easily be removed after summer, as strawberries will be out of season and not really associated with fall.

I think there is a good chance the Beach Side Bonfire buffet could stick around at least for the first couple of weeks of September, if not longer. It's not like the 3 Disney hotels get in on the Halloween Time action at all, so it's not as if the Beach Side Bonfire buffet would have to suddenly switch to fall mode as soon as Halloween Time begins, but I would imagine that eventually there will be more season-specific dishes taking the place of some of the summer-specific dishes.

 

[love2go2disney2]

We had the buffet on July 29, and we loved it!!!!! The food was delicious, and to our surprise, the fig and goat cheese pizza was AMAZING!! Our waitress, said, the buffet was going to be around for awhile. She said it was not going away for a while. We are going to Disneyland in December, and we are definitely doing the buffet again.

 

[Sherry E]

From the Disney Food Blog - "Review: Hand-Dipped Corn Dogs at Disneyland’s Little Red Wagon" -- posted on August 13, 2015, by AJ - http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/...ed-corn-dogs-at-disneylands-little-red-wagon/

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[kaoden39]

From the Disney Food Blog - "Review: Hand-Dipped Corn Dogs at Disneyland’s Little Red Wagon" -- posted on August 13, 2015, by AJ - http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2015/...ed-corn-dogs-at-disneylands-little-red-wagon/

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Yummy!