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| Bar area in the main dining room of the Carthay Circle Restaurant |
With the recent overhaul of Disney California
Adventure came a spectacularly themed new dining location for foodies and
boozies alike. The Carthay Circle Restaurant is exquisitely themed after the
venue where Walt Disney premiered “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” decades
ago. On the main level of the building you will find a lounge serving a variety
of food and drinks in addition to the restaurant check-in stand. Once checked in your host will escort you
upstairs to the main restaurant. There is the main dining area, patio seating,
and several smaller, private rooms. Alex, our server when we went in August,
was very helpful in explaining the theming behind the rooms and pointing out
all the little details that make a park Disney. For instance, in one of the
smaller rooms there is a large table with an intricate stone base. The base was
made to represent the wishing well in “Snow White” and rumor has it that John
Lassiter himself had recently eaten at that very table. From the floor to the
ceiling, the details of the Carthay Circle restaurant are breathtaking. But…
the food is even better!
Danny and I had been drooling over the menu
from the day the Disney Food Blog posted it and couldn’t wait for our trip to
arrive.
We had debated over getting the Signature
Fire Cracker Duck Wings or the Carthay House Biscuits for our starters. The
wings are made with soy, lime, and Sriracha chili sauce whereas the biscuits
are stuffed with white cheddar, bacon, and jalapeno. I’m sure you can see why
this was such a debate. Lucky for us, the Carthay Circle threw us a curve ball
when we were presented our table with a basket of warm sourdough bread and some
butter. The decision to get the duck wings was then an easy one.
I am drooling a little thinking about how
great these wings were. The Sriracha and soy was a wonderful compliment to the
decadent, deep fried duck wings. It was a prefect balance of salt and spice.
The wings were literally melting in our mouths. We especially appreciated the
lime wedges as the hint of acid cut through the richness of the duck. This was
a great portion to share but I wouldn’t say no to having this as an entrée in
future trips.
Moving on to the entrees, I ordered the
Strawberry-Lemond Roasted Organic Chicken Salad. The dish included jicama, haricot
verts, upland cress and a buttermilk-lemon vinagrette. This is a wonderful,
light, seasonal lunch. The greens were crisp with a great crunch and the
chicken was very moist and juicy. The only thing I would change would be the
dressing. I found the salad to be a little overdressed for my tastes but I
think that was partly to blame for the fact that the dressing was so thin,
which I wasn’t totally expecting; the dressing was, however, very flavorful and
complimented the components of the dish well. 
Danny’s lunch is something that I am still
thinking about months later. He selected the Korean Pulled Pork Sandwich topped
with Kimchi, Sriracha mayonnaise, a fried egg and cilantro; this also came with
a side of fries. WOW! The pulled pork may have been the best I have ever had.
As a fan of “traditional” barbequed pulled pork I really enjoyed the flavor
profile of the sandwich a lot more than I thought I would have. The egg was
expertly prepared and the runny yolk gave the meat an extra flavor dimension
and some much needed richness to balance the Sriracha and kimchi. The fries
came in their own little cup and were clearly a step above traditional park
fries. Earlier I said I would consider getting the wings as an entrée, but that
would only be if this sandwich is no longer offered. As much as I would like to
go and try new things how could I knowing that this phenomenal dish is calling
my name? Knowing that the Carthay Circle is prized for their wine collection,
Danny wanted something to accompany his lunch. Once again, our server Alex was
extremely helpful, talking through the available wines and what would go best
with Danny’s meal. He ended up ordering the house chardonnay – this wine was
sweet with notes of honey. Danny said that even though he enjoyed this wine,
next time he would like to try something that has more of a California vibe
such as a zinfandel.
Last but not least came time for dessert.
Once again, the options were all mouth-watering. We selected the Toasted Lemon
Pound Cake, with fresh blueberries, lemon curd and a Tahitian vanilla
Chantilly. This was a taste of summer! The lemon pound cake was rich and sweet
whereas the lemon curd was creamy and tart. I am a huge fan of the
lemon-blueberry romance; taking a bite with a little of each component was
heavenly. I don’t expect this to be on the menu come January during our next
trip, a good thing since it will require me to try something new. I do hope,
however, that it will be back next summer! If it is there when you go, which I
hope you do, get it!
Hands down, our entire experience was
outstanding. The ambiance, service, variety and food were second to none. For
our dining reviews we are using a modified Iron Chef rating system which also
includes overall ambiance and service since this isn’t a TV show where the chef
will walk your dish over and explain things ;)
Taste: 10/10
Originality: 4/5
Plating: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5
OVERALL: 28/30
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