Where would you host a celebratory meal in the general DLR area?

[mouschievous]

If you were doing a major milestone celebration and wanted to host it at a (semi-fancy) place in the DLR area, where would you do it for small (4-10), medium (10-20) and large (20+) sized groups? Not in one of the parks in case someone attending the meal is not planning to spend time in the parks. I have a list of options in DTD, but I'm curious about personal opinions, as well as options outside DTD, maybe a short ART or Uber ride away.

Someplace like Steakhouse 55 or a nice Italian restaurant is great, as long as they can accommodate the vegetarians and vegans among us. It'd be fantastic if I could do a set menu for a medium-large size group to make budgeting easier. As far as budget goes, we can probably go up to $70 per person but I'd prefer not to! I'd love it if we could top out around $2500 total.

We should have numbers in November but until then I'm just trying to get some research done.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Budget? Food preference? Is ethnic food an option? Look at The Ranch on Ball Rd. -- semi-fancy, very nice steak house with a great wine list. (Michael Jordan, the original head sommelier at Napa Rose, is there now.) There are live bands and dancing at The Saloon next door, if that interests you. Park Kitchen in Stanton (about 15 minutes west of the parks) is well respected and has good food.

 

[mouschievous]

Budget? Food preference? Is ethnic food an option? Look at The Ranch on Ball Rd. -- semi-fancy, very nice steak house with a great wine list. (Michael Jordan, the original head sommelier at Napa Rose, is there now.) There are live bands and dancing at The Saloon next door, if that interests you. Park Kitchen in Stanton (about 15 minutes west of the parks) is well respected and has good food.

Budget - cheaper than the $80 per person that Disney quoted me for appetizers and desserts in a private room Honestly, it's going to end up depending on how many of us there are, but I'm fully prepared for it to be in the $50-70 per person range for a full meal. Of course, if it were more like $20 per person, then we could probably spring to stay at GCH

Food preference - a steakhouse is great (looking into Steakhouse 55 for a small group where we can just make a reservation, actually) as long as they can accommodate a vegetarian and possibly a vegan. Italian is always good. We've also been talking to Ralph Brennan's about their wine room (I think that's the room).

We'll have a better idea of size and budget in November but I wanted to start getting my ducks in a row now.

I'll modify the op to give more detail.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Budget - cheaper than the $80 per person that Disney quoted me for appetizers and desserts in a private room Honestly, it's going to end up depending on how many of us there are, but I'm fully prepared for it to be in the $50-70 per person range for a full meal. Of course, if it were more like $20 per person, then we could probably spring to stay at GCH

Food preference - a steakhouse is great (looking into Steakhouse 55 for a small group where we can just make a reservation, actually) as long as they can accommodate a vegetarian and possibly a vegan. Italian is always good. We've also been talking to Ralph Brennan's about their wine room (I think that's the room).

We'll have a better idea of size and budget in November but I wanted to start getting my ducks in a row now.

I'll modify the op to give more detail.

Steakhouse 55 can provide vegetarian for sure. I ate there last year.

 

[Grand Callie]

If you were doing a major milestone celebration and wanted to host it at a (semi-fancy) place in the DLR area, where would you do it for small (4-10), medium (10-20) and large (20+) sized groups? Not in one of the parks in case someone attending the meal is not planning to spend time in the parks. I have a list of options in DTD, but I'm curious about personal opinions, as well as options outside DTD, maybe a short ART or Uber ride away.

Someplace like Steakhouse 55 or a nice Italian restaurant is great, as long as they can accommodate the vegetarians and vegans among us. It'd be fantastic if I could do a set menu for a medium-large size group to make budgeting easier. As far as budget goes, we can probably go up to $70 per person but I'd prefer not to! I'd love it if we could top out around $2500 total.

We should have numbers in November but until then I'm just trying to get some research done.

All off Katella ....
JT Schmitt
Cheesecake Factory
.... also look at “The Block of Orange” mall with many restaurant venues
Best wishes !!p

Budget - cheaper than the $80 per person that Disney quoted me for appetizers and desserts in a private room Honestly, it's going to end up depending on how many of us there are, but I'm fully prepared for it to be in the $50-70 per person range for a full meal. Of course, if it were more like $20 per person, then we could probably spring to stay at GCH

Food preference - a steakhouse is great (looking into Steakhouse 55 for a small group where we can just make a reservation, actually) as long as they can accommodate a vegetarian and possibly a vegan. Italian is always good. We've also been talking to Ralph Brennan's about their wine room (I think that's the room).

We'll have a better idea of size and budget in November but I wanted to start getting my ducks in a row now.

I'll modify the op to give more detail.

All off Katella ....
JT Schmitt
Cheesecake Factory
.... also look at “The Block of Orange” mall with many restaurant venues
Best wishes !!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Jazz Kitchen does great group meals. We've done dinners for 15+ and always been treated well there.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Oh -- and at Jazz Kitchen, our groups included vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, GF, and other allergies -- no problems! Just let the restaurant know in advance when you make your reservation, confirm at check in, and again with your server.

 

[mouschievous]

Jazz Kitchen does great group meals. We've done dinners for 15+ and always been treated well there.

I'm revisiting this now that we have a better idea of what we're doing. Lunch on a Saturday, 25 people. We're 99% sure we're going with Jazz Kitchen. When you've done groups there, did you just order off the menu, or did you do the fixed menu?

 

[Mickeyflower]

Catal in DTD the tables upstairs have a wonderful view at night of DTD. It’s fancy but not snooty and soooooooo YUMMY!

 

[GoldeneyezCA]

I work nearby, and we’ve done holiday luncheons at the Jazz Kitchen twice - once off the menu (outdoor patio for over 20 people) and once with a pre-fixe (in the wine cellar room for 17 people). I personally think the pre-fixe is easier, to speed ordering with large groups and better stick to your budget. You will have 2-3 entree choices, usually 1-2 starter choices, and a dessert.

I also highly recommend the Rotunda private dining room at Catal, though I don’t remember the room capacity, maybe around 25 or so. It’s a private, round room with lots of windows. It’s weather-proof in case it’s too windy, hot, or cool, and has a great views of Downtown Disney.

Off-property, as a locals tip, Zov’s in Tustin has amazing Mediterranean food, lovely private rooms, and outstanding service.

The Downtown Disney options are generally more reasonable than a lot of the nearby restaurants, coming in around $40-45 per head all-inclusive. However, parking can be a bit of a pain, especially if people aren’t familiar with the area, so allow extra time for everyone to park, get through security, and find the restaurant. Enjoy!

 

[mouschievous]

Those who've done Catal, have you had any issues meeting the food/ drink minimum? That's the one concern we have. It's like $28 a person, but a $1000 minimum. Right now we're a group of 20ish, so we'd have some work to do to meet the minimum. I also don't love the lunch entree options they gave us.

 

[Mickeyflower]

I haven’t done it for a large group. The Old Spaghetti Factory is in Fullerton literally down Harbor Blvd. They have banquet rooms and I think are really reasonable. Plus it’s in an old building and looks really pretty.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I'm revisiting this now that we have a better idea of what we're doing. Lunch on a Saturday, 25 people. We're 99% sure we're going with Jazz Kitchen. When you've done groups there, did you just order off the menu, or did you do the fixed menu?

We've done both the regular menu and a prix fixe menu. Agree with the pp that a prix fixe menu is easier to deal with. It makes ordering easier, quicker, and easier for the CMs taking the orders. When we use the regular menu, we email it to everyone ahead of time so that people can go over it to choose what they want. That helps move things along more quickly, too.

 

[GoldeneyezCA]

My last event at Catal was a colleague’s retirement about 4 years ago, and we just added appetizers and wine to bring it closer to the minimum. But we went in with the clear understanding that we were getting charged at least $1300-1400 once all the fees were added. If you prefer the menu at Jazz Kitchen, and the lower minimum will offer a bit more flexibility for your group, stick with the Jazz Kitchen. It’s a fun venue with great food and atmosphere!

 

[mouschievous]

They've offered us the Rotunda at Catal, which makes it very attractive. With Jazz Kitchen, they said we could have semi-private on the balcony. I'm agonizing over this way too much!

 

[Blue32]

I’d pick whichever menu is more appealing. I love Jazz Kitchen and is my request for a Fathers Day meal.

 

[GoldeneyezCA]

Hmmmm....If you can find a menu that you like, and the cost won’t cause undue stress, I would go for the truly private room at Catal over the semi-private patio. I personally think it feels a more “special” to have your own space, and it gives you more freedom. You can play some music, Move around, make speeches, etc, without worrying about other patrons.

 

[AndrewC]

It might be crazy hard to book, and might not exactly fit your need (not sure if they have a private room), but the Afternoon Tea at the DLH (Steakhouse 55) might be a fun event to do with a group. Everyone could dress up a little, dress in a theme if they want, or just come "normal". It's a relaxed atmosphere that encourages chatting and spending some time with people, but it does provide a nice lunch and great tea. If not for the whole group, it might be something to try to add on (with guests paying their own way) and do a subgroup of people the next day or later in the week or something. It's usually crazy hard to book though, so you'll need to be exactly 60 days out, or even further and ask if they'll do a special reservation for a large group or something...

 

[mouschievous]

Hmmmm....If you can find a menu that you like, and the cost won’t cause undue stress, I would go for the truly private room at Catal over the semi-private patio. I personally think it feels a more “special” to have your own space, and it gives you more freedom. You can play some music, Move around, make speeches, etc, without worrying about other patrons.

That is kind of my thought too. I'm going to see if the menu is customizable at all. If not, we'll be happy with Jazz Kitchen I think. I spoke with them today and they are TOTALLY flexible and willing to work with us to make it awesome.

 

[Indiana Scott]

You might consider Mimi's Cafe. I believe they have rooms.