california adventure eatin’

“If Main Street, U.S.A., is the romanticized version of Walt Disney’s hometown, Buena Vista Street is the next chapter of Walt’s life when he came to California,” says Ray Spencer of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI). “It’s an extension of where we started at Disneyland park . . . and now our guests can step across the plaza and get the rest of the story.”

A big part of that story was the premier of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937 at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, and that landmark building is the inspiration for the spectacular Carthay Circle Theatre that anchors Buena Vista Street. This new landmark for Disney California Adventure park becomes one of the premier dining locations at Disneyland Resort, the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge.

The upstairs Carthay Circle Restaurant and downstairs Carthay Circle Lounge recall the grandeur of the original theater’s 1920s Spanish Revival architecture with custom tiles, plaster arches, custom woodwork and other historic touches. The cuisine is the star of this production with artisan ingredients, locally sourced produce and seafood and meats from throughout Southern California. Executive Chef Andrew Sutton from Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa created the restaurant’s seasonal menu, and Chef Gloria Tae, also from Napa Rose, is at the helm in the kitchen.

The culinary team is a group of true artists with passion and confidence for creating delicious food.
Andrew Sutton, Executive Chef

Located on the second floor, the 256-seat restaurant (200 inside, 56 on the terrace) is open daily for lunch and dinner.

On the ground floor, the 68-seat Carthay Circle Lounge features cocktails from the 1920s with tableside service for signature beverages including martinis and classic punches. “The focus in the lounge is appetizers and tapas – international tastes that celebrate the diversity and heritage of Los Angeles in the 1920s and ’30s,” says restaurant manager and sommelier Joy Cushing.

• Signature dining at the Carthay Circle Restaurant upstairs (200 seats indoors, 56 seats on the terrace), with a 68-seat lounge downstairs. Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Open for lunch and dinner with a market-inspired menu created by Andrew Sutton, executive chef for Napa Rose and the Carthay Circle Restaurant, with Chef de Cuisine Gloria Tae running the kitchen.
• Menu includes five varieties of sustainable fish, both wild and farmed, in dishes such as sushi-grade yellowtail, grilled with jerk spice and topped with tropical salsa, and Sierra Golden trout roasted with couscous, lemon and oil.  Lunch menu includes udon noodle bowl with red Thai curry broth and Angus burger with Tillamook cheddar cheese.
• Features hand-crafted cocktails, California beers from smaller breweries, wines from around the world with a strong focus on California vineyards, and lounge cocktails based on popular drinks from the 1930s including martinis and classic punches.
• Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, inspired by the original Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles where “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premiered in 1937. Features include custom tiles, custom plaster finishes, ornate woodwork.
• Each guest who orders an entrée and an appetizer, or an entrée and a dessert, will receive a ticket to a center-stage viewing area for the nighttime spectacular, “World of Color.”
• Reservations are recommended: 714-781-DINE.

Hours for both the restaurant and lounge are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

More Eats on Buena Vista Street

Buena Vista Street also offers three spots for quick bites: Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe; Mortimer’s Market andClarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream.

The 178-seat Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe (134 inside, 44 outside) offers Starbucks coffee drinks; signature sandwiches such as a turkey Rueben, paneer and roasted vegetable and salami with olive tapenade, and roast beef and cheddar, as well as savory soups including vegetarian cream spinach, chicken tortilla, classic chicken noodle and cheesy enchilada. Sweet rolls, pastries and breakfast sandwiches are on the morning menu along with specialty coffees.

• Quick-service and bakery with 134 seats inside, 44 outside with a view of Carthay Circle
• Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast includes cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing, pastries and hot breakfast sandwiches
• Showcases Starbucks coffee drinks, with baristas in 1920s-inspired attire.
• Signature sandwiches with kettle potato chips, including roast beef and cheddar, turkey Reuben, paneer and roasted vegetable, and salami with olive tapenade.
• Two house soups daily, such as vegetarian cream spinach, chicken tortilla, lentil, Portobello barley, hearty meat stew, classic chicken noodle, vegetable minestrone with pasta, and cheesy enchilada

Mortimer’s Market will offer whole and cut fruits, bottled water, juices and soft drinks. (According to Disney legend, Mortimer Mouse is the name Walt Disney gave his new creation in 1928. He later changed it to Mickey.)

• Fruit and beverage kiosk with whole and cut fresh fruits, bottled water and juices, and soft drinks
• According to Disney legend, Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse on a train trip from New York to Los Angeles in March 1928. He called his creation Mortimer Mouse, but wife Lillian objected, saying Mortimer was too formal. So Walt changed it to Mickey.

Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream features Dreyer’s ice cream, including bars dipped in milk or dark chocolate that guests can finish with sprinkles, pop rocks and other fun toppings.  Hot fudge and strawberry sundaes and other frozen delights round out the sweet offerings.

• Hand-scooped ice cream in waffle cones, sundaes (hot fudge, mocha, mint, strawberry)
• Chocolate-dipped ice cream bars (milk or dark chocolate)

A Culinary Journey Through Cars Land

With a nod to landmark diners along America’s historic Route 66, guests will feel as if they have stepped into the town of Radiator Springs at Cars Land, with a contemporary spin on classic tastes from the 1950s.

We started working nearly four years ago on the concepts. For Cars Land, we’ve developed fast-casual restaurants with lots of fun tastes, from dill pickle popcorn to chili and cheese – we call it chili cone queso – in an edible bread cone.
Chef Chris Maggetti, Disneyland

Cars Land has three spots for guest to fuel up: Flo’s V8 Cafe, Cozy Cone Motel and Fillmore’s Taste-In. Each location has a story, of course.

Flo’s V8 Cafe is inspired by timeless roadside diners and boasts “the finest fuel in the 50 states.” To cater to the growing number of Route 66 visitors and race fans coming to Radiator Springs, Flo expanded her place by adding a “showroom” dining area, the story goes.

The showroom is part of the 300-seat dining room that looks out directly over the Radiator Springs Racers attraction.
Chef Sean Layne, area chef for Cars Land.

Layne developed the restaurant’s signature vegetarian dish, a veggie-tater casserole that’s sure to be a hit with guests.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu for Flo’s will change often, with the centerpiece of the restaurant an on-stage rotisserie where guests will see meats grilling, such as New York strip loin, citrus-marinated turkey breast and pork loin flavored with Coca-Cola barbecue sauce.  Breakfast specials include brioche French toast with salted caramel and bananas and chicken tamales with scrambled eggs. Craft beers from Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Healdsburg, Calif., and California wines also are on the menu.

House-made pies are the recipes of Disneyland Pastry Chef Jean-Marc Viallet. The single-serving pies come in strawberry-rhubarb, Apple-Cheddar, chocolate mud, cherry and blueberry-peach, to name a few.

• Full meals at a quick-service counter, with seats for 300
• Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
• Inspired by vintage roadside restaurants along historic Route 66, specialties include rotisserie pork loin, citrus turkey and New York strip loin. Signature “veggie-tater bake” is Chef Sean Layne’s vegetarian version of classic shepherd’s pie.
• House-made, single-serving pies include apple-cheddar, strawberry-rhubarb, chocolate mud, blueberry-peach and cherry, created by Disneyland Pastry Chef Jean-Marc Viallet.
• Beers served are Racer 5 IPA and Red Rocket Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Healdsburg, Calif.
• California wines by the glass include Fess Parker Riesling, Silverado Chardonnay, Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon and Eppa Superfruit Red Sangria.
• Boasting “the finest fuel in the 50 states,” Flo’s caters to the growing number of Route 66 visitors and race fans coming to Radiator Springs, with a “showroom” dining area that overlooks the Radiator Springs Racers attraction.
• The cafe also is home to Flo’s personal memorabilia, collected during her glamorous career as a singer with the Motorama Girls.

Cozy Cone Motel is inspired by the quirky “wigwam” motels along Route 66 with each of five teepees offering tasty cone-themed treats. Cone Number 1 offers churro bites with cinnamon-chocolate sauce, cinnamon-spiced hot cocoa and Ramone’s Pear of Dice Soda made with dessert pear syrup, mojito syrup and Sprite. Cone Number 2 features soft-serve ice cream and “route” beer floats. Cone Number 3 offers savory bites all served in edible bread cones, such as a bacon-scrambled egg cone for breakfast, chicken verde or chili “cone” queso for lunch and dinner. Cone Number 4 is pretzel bites with cheesy sauce and Red’s Apple Freeze, a fat-free, frozen concoction with apple juice, toasted marshmallow syrup and passion fruit-mango foam. Cone Number 5 features two flavored popcorns daily, such as dill pickle and sweet & spicy.

• Quick-service, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with 56 seats outdoors
• Inspired by vintage “wigwam” hotels along Route 66, each of the five teepees offers cone-themed treats.
• Cone Number 1 offers churro bites with cinnamon-chocolate sauce, cinnamon-spiced hot cocoa and Ramone’s Pear of Dice Soda made with dessert pear syrup, mojito syrup and Sprite.
• Cone Number 2 features soft-serve ice cream and “route” beer floats.
• Cone Number 3 offers savory bites all served in edible bread cones, such as a bacon-scrambled egg cone for breakfast, chicken verde or chili “cone” queso for lunch and dinner. Specialty beverages are Fillmore’s Fuelin’ Groovy Ades, all-natural lemonade with wild berry foam, or pomegranate limeade with lemon-lime foam.
• Cone Number 4 serves pretzel bites with cheesy sauce and Red’s Apple Freeze, a fat-free, frozen concoction with apple juice, toasted marshmallow syrup and passion fruit-mango foam.
• Cone Number 5 features two flavored popcorns daily, such as dill pickle and sweet & spicy.  Other flavors include bacon and cheddar, nacho cheese, salt and vinegar. Specialty drink is Doc’s Wild Grape Tonic (Sprite with wild grape syrup and wild berry foam).
• As the story goes, the Cozy Cone Motel becomes home to Sally’s Snack Cone-anza when all the fans flock to Radiator Springs for the big races.

Fillmore’s Taste-In is home to resident hippie, Fillmore, where “natural fuels” are on the shelves in his tie-dyed geodesic dome, including whole and cut fruits, bottled water and juices, and soft drinks.

• Fruit and beverage kiosk with fresh whole and cut fruits, bottled water and juices, and soft drinks.
• Radiator Springs’ resident hippie, Fillmore, offers a variety of healthy snacks to visitors at his tie-dyed geodesic dome.

Other Dining Highlights at Disney California Adventure Park

Throughout Disney California Adventure park, guests will find diverse culinary styles and tastes in an array of eateries. The park’s Pacific Wharf offers plenty of spots for a quick bite, from a sandwich or sweets at Pacific Wharf Cafe to tacos at Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill and hearty Asian creations at Lucky Fortune Cookery. Also at Pacific Wharf, enjoy al fresco dining at Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery, with a menu of pastas, grilled sandwiches and California wines by the glass. At dinner, the menu adds dishes such as hearty balsamic-braised short ribs, braised lamb shank and sustainable fish. 

The dining pavilion in Paradise Pier provides plenty of seating and two restaurants. Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta offers something for everyone, from hearty pasta dishes to delicious salads and flatbread pizzas with flavors from traditional cheese to Portobello mushroom and spinach with pesto. Next door, Paradise Garden Grill gives dishes aMediterranean spin with chicken, beef, vegetable and tofu skewers served with a choice of sauce, including Moroccan chili tomato and tandoori-spiced yogurt. Refreshing Greek salads and a kid’s menu also are available. Corn Dog Castle serves a popular beach snack in two flavors, original and link, with a deep-fried cheddar cheese stick as a delicious meatless option. For guests 21 years of age and older, Bayside Brews offers domestic and specialty beers on tap, along with a selection of non-alcoholic beverages and warm, salted pretzels.

At Ariel’s Grotto, the lively Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration for breakfast, lunch or dinner is one of this park’s most-requested reservations, with Ariel, Snow White, Belle, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty greeting guests at every table.

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