NEW California Grill Menu is up on WDW Website!

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for the link. The new menu looks great. I made an adr for Sept. 14th this morning. This will be our 25th visit to CG.

 

[aidansmom]

I think the menu looks pretty good and, like a previous poster said, very seaonal (which I think is great). Bit of a silly question, but . . . dh and I are going for our "date night" without the kids - would we be able to order the kids sushi dessert to bring back to the room for them?

 

[nitrot150]

We got booked for Sept 18th, can't wait!

 

[nitrot150]

I also see that there are some kids stuff on the posted menu...all the way at the bottom.

 

[bdklein]

Pictures up on WDWMagic, too.

 

[elfbo]

Im glad Im not the only one who's a bit disappointing with the menu changes. The appetizers look very ugh compared to before (those flat bread flavors are NOT to my taste), but the desserts look awesome. The entrees all come with sides that I dont like at all.

DH still wants to eat there though, so I will be hoping they can substitute for something im actually willing to eat.

Wonder if they would let me order from the kids menu. The sides there are much more to my liking lol. Id love crushed sweet potatoes and a fruit kebab instead of tomato anything.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

It's funny how tastes vary so much. Personally, I think the appetizers & entrées look great. The desserts are disappointing to me. When I saw them, my first thought was Carnival food. DH & I always share 2 desserts. I'll have a hard time choosing two that actually sound good to me. The lemon cheesecake is the only one that really looks good to me. I'm with the poster who doesn't think Nutella sounds upscale in the least. I haven't enjoyed a Coke float, since I was in my teens. Maybe, I'm just too old to find the desserts interesting. I prefer high quality decadence over cute & trendy.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

It's funny how tastes vary so much. Personally, I think the appetizers & entrées look great. The desserts are disappointing to me. When I saw them, my first thought was Carnival food. DH & I always share 2 desserts. I'll have a hard time choosing two that actually sound good to me. The lemon cheesecake is the only one that really looks good to me. I'm with the poster who doesn't think Nutella sounds upscale in the least. I haven't enjoyed a Coke float, since I was in my teens. Maybe, I'm just too old to find the desserts interesting. I prefer high quality decadence over cute & trendy.

Too funny. I thought Carnival Food as well when I saw the desserts but I thought it was playful and in purpose. We don't yet know that they won't be decadent. We really don't know much of anything about the menu yet lol.

Menus often read differently than they taste. I find myself loving a description of something and then not loving the dish. Or thinking some combination sounds odd and then wanting to lick my plate clean!

I think it is safe to say that Chef Brian and the CG team have extensively tested the menu. I am excited to see how it translates from page to plate!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Too funny. I thought Carnival Food as well when I saw the desserts but I thought it was playful and in purpose. We don't yet know that they won't be decadent. We really don't know much of anything about the menu yet lol.

Menus often read differently than they taste. I find myself loving a description of something and then not loving the dish. Or thinking some combination sounds odd and then wanting to lick my plate clean!

I think it is safe to say that Chef Brian and the CG team have extensively tested the menu. I am excited to see how it translates from page to plate!

That's true. I'm looking forward to reading reviews on the desserts. I just don't know how some things on that menu could possibly be prepared to become an upscale, decadent dessert. Most of it looks like it would be a better fit for a kid's menu to me. I'm hoping they perform magic & prove me wrong.

ETA: As far as it being playful & on purpose. I agree with you. I just don't go to nice restaurants looking for playful desserts. Those can be found at many less expensive restaurants. My desserts don't need to be whimsical. They need to be delicious & made of high quality ingredients.

 

[SpectroMagic*o*]

I know the old Cali Grill used to serve the kids Goldfish as a snack which I just thought was so warm and welcoming for kids to feel comfortable in an upscale place. I hope they keep those small little special extras going

 

[Gregowa]

After seeing the new menu, it will be interesting to see the reviews of the food in the coming weeks. I too am disappointed that the Valhonna chocolate cake is gone - it was wonderful! The menu as posted seems to be a bit diminished. Hopefully the actual menu has some more choices or there will be some special dishes daily not ordinarily on the menu. There is always a period of "settling in" anytime there is change and I hope by the time we go in Dec that the kinks with the menu will have leveled out. Anyway, I'm looking forward to giving it a try. We loved CG prior to the renovation and I truly hope they haven't strayed to far and remain a favorite.

 

[MIKE101067]

When I go to a restaurant, especially a higher end one like Cali, one of the things I look for is a chef who will put together a menu that I wouldn't have thought of. As much as I think of myself as a good "home" cook I love having my mind blown by a combination of ingredients that at first seems crazy but I trust the professional knows what he or she is doing as he takes me on a culinary adventure. As for the tomatoes, this is a seasonal menu and it is TOMATO SEASON. Want a steak? Flick on the webber. Ore Ida makes some decent fries too. Save yourself $50 (and the adventure).

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

I'm excited about the Three Meat Meatballs and the Pork Belly Nigiri. Also glad to see the Crispy Rock Shrimp Salad and the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli still on the menu.

As far as entrees, I'm mixed. The Pork Two Ways is the only thing that sticks out that I'd like to try. Since I'll be there next month, I think there is little chance on a variation from all the tomatoes.

Desserts, I'm less impressed. The Homemade Fritters sound good, but otherwise, I'd probably go with the Cheese Board.

 

[si-am]

What? No sushi "sampler" platter anymore? I always used to order that. I just can't get behind the idea of paying $30 for one sushi roll.

Not sure I will be eating here during next year's trip unless something changes.

 

[distravel]

I am also hoping there are more tempting seasonal items during our visit in November. How can they replace the delicious high quality Valrhona chocolate cake with a cake filled with nutella, a product that is mainly palm oil and sugar? The Valrhona molten cake was one of my all time favorite desserts.

 

[Ofinn]

I'm sorry to see they scaled back on the flat bread appetizers. The entrees and desserts look good, but nothing really looks that exciting.

 

[btk2333]

Menu looks great - not much on the dessert part that I'd be excited about- probably would just get the cheese plate or skip dessert- entrees and appetizers are gonna be hard to pick though- can't wait for November!!!

 

[alldiz]

just booked my ressie for dec 26th

My DD is such a pain
Does anyone know if they used to serve french fries for the kids....I'm hoping they do.
Thanks
Kerri

 

[Kimosabe]

Must admit that, knowing what the prior menu looked like, I was not terribly excited when first reviewing the new one. I had a terrible time trying to decide which of the prior appetizers to order and always hoped I could convince my wife or kids to order my alternative choices! Then I would order sushi as an entree and forego the true entrees. Now I'm having trouble deciding whether I should just skip the appetizers altogether (none looking particularly appealing at the moment), but get sushi as appetizer and go all-out with a real entree.

Either way, it's definitely a first world type of problem, and I'm just happy to be able to enjoy it. If looking at the new menu without benefit of hindsight, it would look pretty awesome. I suspect it will continue to evolve over time, and the restaurant will be great overall.

For a prior poster who lamented a $30 sushi roll, my recollection is that this is not your standard sushi bar. One of my favorite all-time favorite plates at WDW is the spicy kazan roll here (and thrilled that it's still there). It could easily be considered a full entree unto itself, so do not despair if you're hoping for plenty to eat, even if just focusing on the sushi menu.

 

[ciera321]

I think the menu looks pretty good and, like a previous poster said, very seaonal (which I think is great). Bit of a silly question, but . . . dh and I are going for our "date night" without the kids - would we be able to order the kids sushi dessert to bring back to the room for them?

I would guess that they would be happy to send a kid's dessert back for our kiddos!