This week, we had the opportunity to experience the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. First off, if you have not been to the Food & Wine Festival in any of the Disney Parks (California or Florida) then stop what you are doing and start planning a vacation. We have had the pleasure of experiencing both Disney California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival as well as EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival in Disney World and both are amazing experiences. I wanted to take a moment and share with you our recent experience at Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival because it is currently going on from now until April 23rd; it gives you plenty of time to head over there to grab some delicious food & drink! Since, I had already experienced Disney World’s Food & Wine I decided to take some time and do some research prior to our visit. From that research, I was able to find out about the 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Sip and Savor Pass, which is a huge convenience if you plan on truly immersing yourself in the festival. The Sip and Savor Pass provides you the opportunity to sample 8 offerings from the kiosks through the park. This pass is $54.00 (including tax) which means you will want to make sure when using this coupon you use it for any items over $6.75. The Sip and Savor pass is available at the Festival Welcome Center, Festival Marketplaces, Festival Gifts and Artist Corner, Elias & Co., Seaside Souvenirs, Sip and Savor Cart, Trolley Treats and the Studio Store in Hollywood Land. (Note that these coupons exclude alcohol and souvenir items.) What is also awesome is if you do not use all of the Sip and Savor Passes on one of the visits you can come back before April 23rd and use the rest of it… for all you Annual Pass holders! With that being said, for my Dad, Mom, Donovan and myself we decided to purchase (2) Sip and Savor passes as well as a $100.00 Disney gift card to be used on items less then $6.75 or for any alcoholic drinks we would like to purchase. Overall, we were able to visit all of the booths and had the perfect amount for everything.
As a warning, we were all VERY full, but the food was so delicious, that it was hard to stop! Since we were able to taste from every booth, I decided to list what we tried below and then rate them with the TOP 3 WINNERS between my Mom, Dad and myself! (WARNING – My DAD has become a huge Food & Wine fan and once he experienced Disney World’s he has been talking about experiencing California’s for awhile now; he pretty much considers himself a connoisseur and is VERY particular with his choices. Believe me, if you only choose OUR top 3 choices, you will not be disappointed… if you are then you can blame my Father! (SORRY DAD!) ENOUGH with my rambling, let me quote Beauty and the Beast’s most famous candlestick Lumiere “…let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents…” The 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Nuts About Cheese
Choices:
Ham & Vella Jack Cheese Pinwheel with Smoked Pistachios.
- HOLY! MOLY! This item was our first item to try and it seriously was to DIE for. It was the perfect balance of savory/creamy to cheesy and salty. Imagine if a donut and the New Orleans Blue Bayou’s Monte Cristo had a baby and that baby kissed pistachios…. Yah. I am just going to spoil it for you and let you know that this baby made it to our top 3.
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Uncork California
Choices:
Hibiscus Mimosa
- This was definitely a delicious drink; it had the familiar taste of a mimosa with the exotic change of hibiscus. Definitely something I would want with my BASIC SUNDAY BRUNCH!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Citrus Grove
Choices:
Citrus-brined Pork Roast with Tangy Barbeque Sauce & Lemon Pepper Slaw
- So, not to be “BRAGGY” but my Dad BBQ’s for our family a LOT and we are definitely spoiled when it comes to a pork roast. I say that, because my DAD put this item on the top 3. The toast with the combination of the lemon pepper slaw makes this the perfect savory and tangy treat you want mid-day. My Dad is always considering adding a Lemon Pepper Slaw to his Pork Roast… so THANK YOU DISNEY!
Meyer Lemon Blue Diamond Almond Macaron
- Now, if we had a TOP 5, this item would have for sure made it. It is a tasty dessert that will definitely fulfill that sweet tooth. Note, that there is a berry jam in the middle of this that I didn’t expect but was a pleasant surprise!
Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule
- This drink was delicious if you are a big fan of the Moscow Mule and citrus. This did not make our top 3, but I cannot discount that it was super tasty!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Berry Patch
Choices:
Strawberry & Coconut Rice “Flushi” with Sweet Oikos Yogurt Wasabi Sauce.
- If Donovan was part of making the decision of our top 3, then he would have for sure chose this to be top 3. My Mom, Dad and myself only took ONE bit of this dish and Donovan ate the rest of it and if you believe that Toddler’s tell the truth, then you might want to make this part of your top 3 because he was MAD when it was gone. To me, it tasted like if Strawberry Shortcake and Rice Pudding collaborated; this would be their creation!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Peppers Cali-Ente
Choices:
Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese with Chili Cheese Corn Chip Dust
- This one was my Dad’s #1, no matter what dish we tried after this one, he said, “It’s alright, but it doesn’t beat the Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese!” I have to admit, that I too, think this is my favorite; it is so delicious and has a slow burn. I am a big fan of spicy food, so that is a huge factor but this dish is not one to be missed!
Verlasso Sustainable Salmon Peruvian Poke with Cucumber-Lime Salad and Aji Verde Salsa
- This actually complemented the Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese because it gave you a break from the ghost pepper. I am a huge fan of poke, and this dish did not disappoint.
Jalapeño-Lime Margarita
- YUM! Again, I am a big fan of spicy, so this was the perfect drink to have with the Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese and Poke. There was a sweet and spicy kick to it, that made you want to take another sip.
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Veggie, Veggie, Fruit, Fruit
Choices:
Cauliflower Ceviche with Chile Corn Crumble and Tortilla Strips
- If you are a fan of ceviche and are a vegetarian then you would enjoy this dish. I personally love cauliflower, so to me it was delicious.
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Avocado Time
Choices:
Petite Impossible Burger with Guacamole and Pepper Jack Cheese
- We took a bite of this burger first, without knowing it was vegetarian and thought, “DAMN this is good!” When I read it was a vegetarian burger, we were SHOCKED! This dish is not one to miss out on.
Kombucha Mojito Cocktail with Fresh Mint
- This was a great mojito! Not on our top 3, but a great drink to have with your burger!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: I HEART Artichokes
Choices:
Fried Artichokes with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Lemon Aioli
- Great fried snack, if you are looking for a citrus treat!
Artichoke Toast with California Olive Tapenade
- Okay, I fought for this one to be on the top 3, and if I had a top 5, it would definitely be on it. I am a BIG olive fan, and this dish does not disappoint. Being from Temecula, California it reminded me of something that we had at one of our local wineries to enjoy with a wine tasting! YUM!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Cluck-A-Doodle-Moo
Choices:
Harris Ranch Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Chimichurri Sauce
- The chimichurri sauce with this slider makes the dish and it defines the slider! Delightful!!
Salt & Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings
- These wings were great! Not, top 5, but still delicious!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Garlic Kissed
Choices:
Black Garlic Soy-Braised Pork Belly Banh Mi
- We are big fans of pork belly, and this dish was yummy but not the best from the kiosk!
Creamy Mac & Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumble
- Okay, again if Donovan had to choose a top 3, this would have been on his top 3. We even took a video of him dancing around after eating the Mac & Cheese! I snuck in a couple bites, and agreed it was delicious!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Off The Cob
Choices:
Shrimp Boil Tacos with Andouille Sausage & Fresh Corn
- Scrumptious tacos again, not top 3, but if you enjoy Andouille sausage then you will love these!
Esquites Sweet Corn Nuggets with Bacon Lardons
- If my Mom had her own top 3, this would of made it to hers. These were a perfect combo of salty and sweet!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: Golden Dreams
Choices:
Anaheim Chili Relleno Bites with Salsa Verde
- I am a big fan of chili relleno, so I truly enjoyed these; I just wish they were bigger!
Chocolate-Peanut Carmel Parfait
- If you are a peanut butter lover then you will love this little bite of dessert!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: LA Style
Choices:
Asian-style Beef Barbacoa Tacos with Pickled Ginger
- The pickled ginger is what threw me into a tizzy of happiness! It is DEFINITELY a Los Angeles dish and so tasty!
BLT Chicharrón Duro with Ranch Crema
- After eating this, I looked up how to get large chicharrón’s in the masses! LOVELY!
Tiki Cocktail: Aged Rum, Falernum, Bitters and Lime & Grapefruit Juices
- If the Tiki Room in Disneyland had a cocktail, this would be it!
Festival Marketplace Kiosk: (Built In) Paradise Garden Grill
Choices:
Beer-battered Cod with Steak Fries and Spiced Remoulade
- We asked for extra malt vinegar on the side. My Dad and I are big fish & chips fans and enjoyed this plate!
Black Forest Parfait – Layers of Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Chantilly, Chocolate Mousse and Cherries
- I only had one bite of this, and my Mom and Donovan ate the rest, so that should explain how good this was! Great dessert!
Our Top 3!
Ham & Vella Jack Cheese Pinwheel with Smoked Pistachios.
Citrus-brined Pork Roast with Tangy Barbeque Sauce & Lemon Pepper Slaw
Ghost Pepper Mac & Cheese with Chili Cheese Corn Chip Dust
A special shoutout to my dear friend Loretta, who we were able to visit with during our time here at the Disneyland Resort!
Overall, the festival is such a marvelous experience that you should enjoy for yourself! Remember that the Disney California Adventure Festival is only here from now until April 23rd, so make sure you head over to the parks to experience it with your family!
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together!” – Anthony Bourdain
Description is like something you would find on the Food Network. Sounds absolutely delicious!
Thank you! That means a lot!