Fine Dining at Disneyland!

I know when you think of Disney Parks, you probably think of family fun, thrill rides and character breakfasts. Am I right? But did you know that there are also restaurants at Disneyland that offer fine dining experiences?

Yes! It's true!

As a self-declared foodie and home cook, I am here to tell you that there are a few restaurants at Disneyland that are top-notch and you won't want to miss!

I had the chance to visit two of these fine restaurants and they are definitely not-to-miss places!

The Napa Rose, located in the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland, offers the very best in seasonal flavours paired with an extensive list of the best in Californian wines.

It features awarding-winning cuisine by Chef Andrew Sutton, along with the best of local fare and seasonal dishes that frequently change in order to bring you the best in food trends and fresh flavors.

I can tell you that including a visit to this restaurant in your Disneyland vacation is a wise decision as the food is so good here that it will leave you swooning. Swooning I tell ya!

 I had an amazing dining experience here with a small group, and I got to sample and taste many of the dishes and every dish was excellent!

Here are some of the things that we tried and they were all paired with wonderful wines as suggested by the sommeliers who can help you find just the perfect wine from the extensive wine list.

Are you ready? Here we go!

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Here are some of the amazing dishes we tried:

Seven Sparkling Sins is an amazing appetizer to share...featuring delicious beef, crap, salmon, pheasant and scallop.

The Sizzling Beach Rock is another fun 'to share' item that offers yummy choices in garlic shrimp, glazed spare ribs and lemon grass chicken skewers.

And if I had to choose, this dish was one of my favourites! Smiling Tiger Salad featured tempura-fried lobster and spicy beef on a bed of Asian greens with the best-tasting lime vinaigrette you will ever have in your life!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin was my main course choice and it was very tender and delicious.

And for the desserts, we tried: artisanal ice creams such as Tahitian Vanilla Bean and Creamy Californian Strawberry with fresh berries.

And this Warm Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake will satisfy any chocolate-lovers heart!

While at Disneyland, we also enjoyed another amazing fine dining experience at Wine Country Trattoria. This pretty restaurant features many Italian specialty dishes prepared in a lovely Mediterranean setting. Here you will find such favourites as bruschetta, pasta, Caprese salad, seafood dishes, chicken, lamb, ribs and fresh dinner salads, along with a wine list that includes over 25 wines available by the glass.

As busy parents whose days are normally packed with lots of family responsibilities, my husband and I like to treat ourselves to special fine dining experiences while we're on vacation. I so enjoy the chance to sit down and  take the time to slowly enjoy a glass of wine while savouring a gourmet meal...one that I didn't have to plan or cook myself and without interruptions. And although the focus of a Disneyland vacation is on family fun, it's also a nice opportunity to steal a few hours away for a special treat of a luxurious fine dining experience. So if you are heading to Disneyland soon for Spring Break, I encourage you to make a reservation for a special dinner at either Napa Rose or Wine Country Trattoria for a wine and dining experience that will leave you feeling over-the-moon happy!

This is Part 3 of a mom-daughter vacation that my teen daughter and I took to California in August 2013 as guests of  Disney Parks Canada &Travel California. All opinions are my own.

For Part I on San Francisco, please go HERE.

To read about our visit to the beautiful Castello di Amorosa Winery in Napa Valley, go HERE. 

Our Visit to the Beautiful Castello di Amorosa Winery In the Napa Valley

Late last summer, my daughter and I had the most amazing California adventure which took us to San Francisco, and then to the famed Napa Valley where we had the chance to visit & tour the beautiful Castello Di Amorosa Winery. The beauty of this winery surrounded us as soon as we stepped off of our van, and at every turn there were lovely vistas and vignettes. The "Castle of Love" is the vision and life-long dream of Dario Sattui, who wanted to create Italian-style wines within a 13th century medieval-inspired castle inspired by his love of his Italian heritage and his passion for medieval architecture. The castle took 15 years to construct, and there is no doubt when you arrive here that he achieved his dream of creating a medieval masterpiece.

The Castle contains 8 levels and is made with more than 1 million antique bricks brought from Europe and 8,000 tons of local stone which were hand-chiseled.

The results are fantastic, and if you only have time to tour one winery in Napa Valley, I would highly recommend Castello Di Amorosa be the one you make time for!

There are so many amazing things to see and explore here, and if you happen to be traveling with children, this is perfect for them as well because while Moms & Dads are touring & sampling wine, the kids will have lots of things to see and do such as a  moat, drawbridge, 5 towers, and courtyards, secret passage ways, an outdoor oven and more.

The  13th century Tuscan-style Castle of Love is comprised of many more medieval architectural features that give the Castle a truly authentic feel. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful properties in the United States and I found it to be a place where I could have spent hours absorbing every little detail.

The Grand Banquet Hall with it's hand-painted Italian frescoes and Umbrian fireplace was one of my favourite rooms, and it plays host to many special events at the Castle throughout the year.

Our visit in late August brought us the most amazing sights of grapes on vines as the winery headed into  the harvest season.

And how charming is it to find these farm animals on the grounds?

And our tour on the levels below was filled with so many things to see at every turn.

And now let's talk about the wine...the wonderful wine.

The Castello di Amorosa makes hand-crafted Italian style wines in Italian handmade state-of-the art fermentation tanks.

While we were there, we had the opportunity for a sit-down wine and artisan chocolate pairing and it was divine. 

I have had a few chocolate and wine pairings in my day, but I have to say that this one was my favourite and I promptly went to the gift shop to buy the wine and chocolates to take home.

Absolutely everything about this tour was amazing, from the Italian style wines, to the beautiful grounds, to the castle itself. 

The whole time we were there, we were completely absorbed in our lovely surroundings and all of the things that make up Dario Suttui's dream.

And a beautiful dream brought to life it is!

This is Part 2 of a mom-daughter vacation that my teen daughter and I took to California in August 2013 as guests of  Disney Parks Canada &Travel California. All opinions are my own.

For Part I on San Francisco, please go HERE. 

For Part 3 on our fine dining and wine experiences at Disneyland, please go HERE.

This post is linked to:
StoneGable, Tweak It Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday, Wow Us Wednesday,