Another 10 Day Dining Review with Pics! Completed!

[DLFan123]

Because we knew we wanted the guacamole and because we have a tendency to always end up with way too much food, this year, we decided to do some splitting and forego ordering our own meals.

We decided to start by ordered a side of rice and beans:

Side of vegetarian rice

This is huge! They have traditional Spanish rice, but this is their vegetarian option. It is cilantro rice, but the flavor is good and doesn't bother DP who really dislikes cilantro.


Side of black beans

Again, huge! They have refried beans, but those aren't vegetarian. I don't mind, though, because these black beans are SO GOOD! They remind me a lot of the black beans at La Hacienda (or even the Cantina).

We also decided to split a couple of apps:

Cheese quesadilla

You have no idea how big the plates are at Tortilla Jo's! This quesadilla is huge. It is really tasty, though, and the vegetarian cheese quesadilla is served with Anaheim peppers (how fitting) inside. I love the extra taste those add, so it is not JUST cheese.

In addition to splitting that, I was most excited about this appetizer:

Mini crab tostadas!

Holy moly these things were so delicious! DP doesn't love crab, and even she liked them. (She let me eat most of this.) This was one of my favorite things I've ever eaten, and I told her I really didn't need to order all that other stuff. I would have been happy with just these!

A close up:

So good!!!

Our server also talked us into round 2 of the partida margaritas:

A mango margarita with sugar split into two glasses (obviously this is one glass)

The margaritas here are strong, so we didn't feel like we should each have a second, and DP agreed to split the one I preferred.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Tortilla Jo's, as always, and looked forward to going back. I still think it's the best meal you'll find in downtown Disney in Anaheim.

Coming up next, tomorrow...the beginning of the end, and the day it all went wrong.

 

[awfullybigadventure]

I'm hungry right now and you're killing me! Mexican...especially with margaritas! YUM!!! Great pictures. Looks like an awesome meal!

 

[DLFan123]

I'm hungry right now and you're killing me! Mexican...especially with margaritas! YUM!!! Great pictures. Looks like an awesome meal!

It was! There should be a rule against reading food reviews when you're hungry!

 

[DLFan123]

This morning is sponsored by:




Every year, there is a day it all goes wrong. It's a day I ignore all the warnings, from DP, from myself, from my own body. Up until now, I think I'd done reasonably well splitting dishes with DP, eating a reasonable (for *vacation*) quantity of food. This day is the day I will refer to as the beginning of the end. It really was, because it was our last full day in DL, so I knew it was my last chance to eat all of my most favorite foods that I had not yet had.

Because we were full from such a big dinner, we decided to skip breakfast. This meant we had plenty of room to enjoy on of these:

A dole whip!

Yum yum yum.

I started out with the best of intentions, and we split this.

But look:

It was hollow inside!

(Well it always is, but this particular day, I was dismayed.) It did not seem like it was enough to share. But we shared it anyway.

And then, because I very nearly had a tantrum when it was gone, DP went back up to the line, and she came back with this:

A dole whip float!

This was my first time trying the float. I'd had the whip many times, and I must say, if you've never had one at either WDW or DL, you must! These things are so delicious. There really is no explanation. I don't even love pineapple all that much.

I was concerned the float would be more like a drink than an ice cream treat, but you know what? It wasn't! It was perfect. I declared I think I like it more than the plain whip!

(As an aside, I much prefer the Dole Whips in DL to WDW. I just think the waiting area is much more pleasant, because you can sit in the little Tiki Room entrance area eating your whip and waiting for the show. Then, unlike in WDW, if you haven't finished your whip, they let you bring it in while you watch the show!)

Then, because it seemed like we could never possibly get enough pineapple juice treats, we took a couple of these:



Recipe cards so we could make our own yummy pineapple treats at home!

I know what you're thinking...this does not seem all that bad, skipping breakfast and one whip and one float between two people...really not so bad...but just wait! Coming up next, lunch at the French Market!

 

[vettegirl]

Thank you so very much for the Tortilla Joes review. I wasn't expecting to see one on the WDW boards, but am glad you posted it. We are going there at the end of the month, as I have a gift certificate to use, and wanted to know if it was any good

 

[goodeats]

Enjoying your reviews! After 10+ years of having a DL AP I've taken the year off and I'm dearly missing it. I LOVE the Napa Rose lounge. Bonus tip - you get 5 hours free valet parking at the GCH if you dine there, even in the lounge!

 

[disneyobsessed808]

Do you ever feel like you're the only one reading your own dining review?! It is true I do get a great amount of enjoyment out of writing and rereading my own reviews, but this is crazy. I swear it's just me and the moderators reading this one.

I'm reading your review. I generally just lurk in the WDW sections, since I'm a DL AP/West Coaster...but definitely enjoying the review so far!

Your Napa Rose food looks so good! I love it there. The chef's counter is so worth it!

 

[DLFan123]

Enjoying your reviews! After 10+ years of having a DL AP I've taken the year off and I'm dearly missing it. I LOVE the Napa Rose lounge. Bonus tip - you get 5 hours free valet parking at the GCH if you dine there, even in the lounge!

You will be there soon enough! You don't have to take off an entire year, right!? I can't wait to go back to the Napa Rose Lounge. The last time we were there, it was closed for refurb, so we had to miss out.

I'm reading your review. I generally just lurk in the WDW sections, since I'm a DL AP/West Coaster...but definitely enjoying the review so far!

Your Napa Rose food looks so good! I love it there. The chef's counter is so worth it!

Thanks for commenting! I'm feeling a lot better now. I was feeling lonely that day but plenty of you came to my rescue.

 

[DLFan123]

After a little bit of exploring and enjoying some of our favorite attractions, we headed to one of my favorite outdoor spots for lunch, The French Market in New Orleans Square. I just love the atmosphere there, right at the base of the train station and just across the fountain from the Haunted Mansion.

Right away, I noticed their desserts:

Yum!

For lunch, DP and I decided to split this:

The shrimp salad

This really is more like an open-faced sandwich than a shrimp salad. It is absolutely delicious, and it is one of my favorite things at DL right now!

We enjoyed this, and afterwards, I was back to eyeing these:

I'm pretty sure this was a peach tart. It looked so good, but I decided to pass, because there was something else I had in mind for dessert.

We finished up lunch enjoying the live entertainment on stage in the dining area:


Up next, a sweet snack and a parade!

 

[DnA2010]

Just jumping on board!!

So many fantastic looking things- so hungry now! We are hoping to get back to the land this summer, can't wait for Mickey bars, dole whip, soup in a bread bowl and all the other great stuff, thanks for such a great report so far!

 

[proud mom]

Great reviews! I can't wait to read more. I'll be in DL in March so I appreciate the DL dining reviews.

 

[DLFan123]

After lunch, we decided to walk over and get a spot for the parade. We've seen the Mickey's Soundsational Parade many times, but a trip is not complete unless I get a great spot and watch the whole thing in its entirety. This year, we decided to try for a bench spot. We found a nice bench right in front of the Matterhorn. My plan was not to be stressed by coming up at the last minute, so we sat down really early, in the shade, to wait on our bench. Because we had so much time, we took turns holding the seat while the other shopped around on Main Street.

Before long, I was starting to get thirsty, and I also knew I wanted another mint julep before this trip was over. I headed off the to mint julep window. While I was there, I made a snap decision that even though it was hot, DP and I needed some of these:

Mickey beignets!

DP loves these, but I knew if I'd asked her in advance, she would have thought it was too hot. So I didn't ask!

And because it was our last day and I was starting to get a little crazy, instead of getting a small order, I decided to get a large. This included several beignets, more than we needed, but not to worry, we managed to polish off all of them.

If you've never had the Mickey beignets from the mint julep window, I highly recommend them. I've heard negative things about the ones in WDW, but never about the ones in DL. These are so fresh and hot, with just the right amount of sweetness from the powdered sugar.

We rinsed our multiple beignets down with these:


I was feeling greedy and didn't want to share, so I got us each one.

After my four beignets and my whole mint julep, I was feeling quite satisfied with myself.

By this time, the parade had started. We had an excellent seat, I think maybe our best ever (because we weren't on the ground hurting our backs and backsides).



One of the best parts about our spot was that we could see the floats straight on as they entered the route from behind the Matterhorn, but then we could also see the sides and backs as they turned the corner.

All in all, it was a great day, and there was still plenty of food to be had! Next up, Carnation Café dinner!

 

[DLFan123]

Just jumping on board!!

So many fantastic looking things- so hungry now! We are hoping to get back to the land this summer, can't wait for Mickey bars, dole whip, soup in a bread bowl and all the other great stuff, thanks for such a great report so far!

It is great to have you here! Thank you so much. All the food at DL is so good!
I think it is all the they use!

Great reviews! I can't wait to read more. I'll be in DL in March so I appreciate the DL dining reviews.

You will get to sample all kinds of yummy treats in March. Welcome!

 

[DLFan123]

After the parade, we explored a bit of Innoventions, then took in a couple of fantasyland rides.

For dinner, we walked right in to Carnation Café on Main Street. DP chose the homemade veggie quinoa burger:

This was it served with an Anaheim green chile on top.


She really enjoyed this and said she would get it again.

Here is an inside shot:


I decided to get a salad that sounded absolutely delicious, the shrimp cobb salad:

I ordered this without the bacon.

This was so delicious! I always try to remember to order my shrimp well-done, because I hate when my shrimp are barely cooked. These were perfectly well-done! Also, I love the blue cheese on the salad, and then it is served with ranch on the side. It's like a combo of my two favorite salad dressings, ranch and blue cheese!

Afterwards, even though I'd had dessert for breakfast and dessert after lunch, I was feeling like a dessert.

I chose this:

I don't even remember what this was called, but OMG it was amazing!

It was a lemon cake, lemon pudding with toasted marshmallow cream on the top. So good!

 

[awfullybigadventure]

Oh wow, your dinner looks so good! That is one of the cutest desserts I've ever seen!

 

[DLFan123]

Oh wow, your dinner looks so good! That is one of the cutest desserts I've ever seen!

Yes it was cute and so good! You know how sometimes the prettiest desserts are the least impressive tasting? Not in this case! Pretty sure it was a seasonal special though and is not regularly available.

 

[DLFan123]

Gosh it has been a busy couple of weeks here, and I almost lost track of my thread. But DP and I have been working on planning an unexpected WDW trip for late April! We totally thought we would not be able to make it to Orlando this year, but we have decided we are doing it after all! YOLO!

So between the distraction of trying to snag ADRs for a trip only 3 months away, along with work and the typical responsibilities, I let my dining review fall by the wayside. But now I'm back and ready to wrap this up!

When I left off, I was reporting about the day "it all went wrong..." only looking back, I don't really think anything went wrong. I might have eaten a lot of sweets, but overall, this review has helped me to realize that I actually didn't make the worst choices possible. So go me!

Apparently, when we got back to our room after our dinner at Carnation Café, I did have a small snacks. A tiny snack, really:

The macaroon from my Fantasmic dessert plate

This is good, but not to be confused with the Jolly Holiday's Matterhorn Macaroon, which pretty much wins the prize for greatest macaroon ever!

This sad little bite reflects the last of DL delectables for this trip...the next morning, we slept in, checked out of our lovely Hojo and headed down south.


Our destination was Carlsbad, but we made a late decision to stop just a few miles outside of Anaheim at one of Orange County's greatest gems, the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

I'll just post a few pics, even though this is a dining review. For anyone who hasn't been, if you have an extra half-day in OC and a rental car, I could not recommend this place more. It is just one of the most beautiful missions I have ever seen.







The gardens are incredible. The church itself is lovely, and there are beautiful, old bells everywhere.


A rare look at me and DP!

This mission really is something to see, and when you are there, you just get the feeling that you truly are in a sacred space. The entire setting is so romantic, and I found myself thinking it would be the most beautiful place for a wedding. Of course, you'd have to be Catholic and your marriage recognized by the church in order to arrange a wedding here, I'm sure. In spite of that, just being there, seeing all of the natural beauty and southwest heritage really had me reflecting about a secret I'd been carrying around since we left Denver, a secret surprise for DP!

After our time in the mission (admission being around $10 each), we were famished, because we really hadn't eaten any breakfast before we left our hotel. We found the most quaint and charming little restaurant right across the street from the mission. It was called L'Hirondelle.



A menu shot:

They were serving lunch and brunch (apparently didn't photograph the brunch menu), which was just fine with me, because I love brunch! After so long in DL, it was nice to feel the novelty of a non-theme park menu (and non-theme park prices!).

The inside of the restaurant, was so small, cozy and adorable:



A funny little statue holding business cards

Look at all those wine corks in the background! Mm mm mm!

We chose to sit out on the patio by this adorable fountain:


There were little succulents potted on all the tables:

Look at the cute little butter balls! I love when restaurants take the time with little touches like this. Somehow butter made into shapes just tastes better.

There was beautiful greenery everywhere, and just enough shade from this big tree:


I felt like I was in paradise. Then I had this bright idea that this little restaurant would make the perfect little place for a reception gathering after a wedding at the mission. I just loved the idea of a wedding ceremony followed by a little reception walking distance from the venue, but totally separate and unique. I also loved the restaurant's feel of European sophistication meets rustic, desert garden paradise. I certainly was thinking an awful lot about weddings!

Coming up, our food selections...nom nom nom! I promise more pictures of food soon!

 

[DLFan123]

They served bread at each table:

This was good, and you already know how I feel about the little round butters!

Looking back at our table, we both apparently had iced tea. I can't believe I managed not to order a mimosa at the most perfect spot to drink mimosas ever!

DP chose the ahi tuna sandwich:

Yum!

The frites were European style, and she really enjoyed the sandwich itself. Tartar sauce on top was homemade and was so delicious. I enjoyed many a fry with that sauce! It was also served with a nice little fruit salad, just the perfect amount. The bun for the sandwich was soft, fresh and tasty.

This is what I ordered:

A smoked salmon benedict!

Oh my this was like heaven on a plate to me. To me, hollandaise sauce is what honey is to Pooh!

The salmon was excellent, the hollandaise tasted like homemade (I'm thinking it was), and the English muffin was perfect: soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

This was also served with breakfast potatoes and fruit.

We both enjoyed our meals so much, and we were completely stuffed by meal's end. Even though it was a bit off the beaten path, we'd had a splendid morning, and we found another must-do non-Disney restaurant to visit during our So Cal trips.

Next up, we arrive in Carlsbad where we enjoy some delicious, local seafood.

 

[DLFan123]

Thank you so very much for the Tortilla Joes review. I wasn't expecting to see one on the WDW boards, but am glad you posted it. We are going there at the end of the month, as I have a gift certificate to use, and wanted to know if it was any good

I don't know why, but I just saw this comment now! You are most welcome. We love Tortilla Jo's, and it has never disappointed. The only thing is that we always end up getting so full, because we order so much food!

 

[DLFan123]

Well I'm back to (finally) post again. It has taken me a couple of days to figure out how to use the site enough that I think I can do this. So wish me luck!

I think eventually, after I figure out a simpler way to resize photos, this may be easier for me. For now, I feel clumsy and old, trying to navigate this new technology!

After our amazing morning and lunch in Mission San Juan Capistrano (if you haven't been, go! It is right off of I-5 about 10 miles south of Anaheim), we got back into our rental car and headed for the San Diego coast. San Diego county, that is...

We arrived in Carlsbad, checked into our hotel and took a moment to enjoy this amazing view:


This was the view from our room. Amazing...


We spent a little time at the Audubon welcome center, did a little hiking around town, and then went back to our room to get ready for dinner. We decided to forego the usual beach fare in town and try something a little nicer. Within a 3 minute walk from our hotel, we stumbled upon a restaurant called Jay's Gourmet Seafood. After taking a look at their Italian/seafood menu, we knew this was the place for us.

Jay's was quaint, loud and crowded. There was "patio" seating, but the place was so small that this was actually seating in the parking lot. We chose to sit indoors. It was dark inside, bustling and very casual, but we still felt bad taking photos with a flash, so these are a little dark.



They started us off with a basket of garlic bread sticks. These were very good!

I decided to have a glass of Pinot Grigio...when at Jay's...


I'm pretty sure DP had a class of Chianti with her meal, but we didn't photograph it.

We were served house salads to start, with creamy Italian dressing:


The salads were included in the meal, and they were so good! I love a good salad like this, with Italian cheese and olives. The dressing was actually really good, too, and I'm not typically a huge fan of creamy Italian.

For our meals, we each ordered an entrée. Looking back, we definitely should have split one. The entrees here are huge! We wanted different things, though, as usual...although only slightly different.

DP chose the spicy shrimp pasta dish. I believe this might be called Shrimp Diablo or something like that:


This was linguine served with fresh shrimp and spicy marinara sauce. She thoroughly enjoyed this.

I chose the shrimp parmigiana. I had never been to a restaurant with this on the menu, and I was thrilled to try it. It came with our server's highest recommendation:


OMG was this amazing! The shrimp were fresh and delicious, and they were huge. Usually I don't like the biggest shrimp, because it is hard to prepare them just right. But these were perfect. They were breaded with a tasty breadcrumb coating, pan-fried, covered in delicious marinara, and then baked with mozzarella cheese. I recall declaring this to be the best red sauce I have ever had! I would eat this meal every day if I could. The linguine was perfectly al dente.

In the next post, dessert. (This post seems bogged down by all the glorious food photos!)