There are a few “traditions” my son and I have when we visit the Disneyland Resort. We have to ride the monorail (even if it’s just around the park) and we have to get a frozen apple. And while it’s not necessarily a tradition, I can’t walk down Main Street without stopping at Blue Ribbon Bakery for a Blended Mocha. Dining at the resort is as much a part of the magical experience as are the shows, attractions, characters, and music. Whether it’s a quick vegetable gumbo before boarding Pirates of the Caribbean at the Royal Street Veranda or a festive dinner with the Disney Princesses at Ariel’s Grotto, dining at the resort is a culinary adventure!
Disney California Adventure recently debuted a variety of new dining locations at Paradise Pier including Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Paradise Garden Grill, and Bayside Brews. I’ve eaten at many of the resort’s dining locations and I have to say that I definitely have a few new favorites.
You may remember Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta as Pizza Oom Mow Mow, but apart from the space that it’s residing in, there isn’t much semblance to the former dining venue. Just walking into Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta is an experience. Immediately upon entering you’ll see Cast Members pulling out flatbread pizzas from the “oven” and pastas being prepped in front of you. The venue is open, spacious and cool (as in, a reprieve from the warm California heat).
The venue is set up with three main food stations…a pasta station, a pizza station, and a salad station. Your options for pastas, salads, and flatbread pizzas include the following:
Pastas
Spaghetti with Meatballs served with Pomodoro Sauce (if you don’t eat beef, like myself, you can ask for turkey meatballs, which is what is included with the children’s meal)
Five-Cheese Ravioli served with pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts. For a foodie like me, this was delicious and so not what I would expect at a park. The combination of pesto and a creamy cheese filling was perfect.
Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Campanelle lightly tossed with sun-dried tomato cream sauce.
Flatbread Pizzas
BBQ Chicken with applewood smoked bacon, smoked gouda, mozzarella, red onions and cilantro. As a traditional pizza lover, I was hesitant to order this dish but I’m so glad I did. The combination of gouda and barbecue sauce offered a sweet, tangy flavor and really set the dish apart from others I’ve had in the past.
Portobello Mushroom and Spinach with herbed marinara, mozzarella, artichokes, pesto, ricotta salata and pecorino romano.
Cheese
Pepperoni
Salads
Chicken Caesar with grilled chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, croutons and freshly grated parmesan.
Italian Chef Salad with salami, capocollo, cured ham, provolone, fresh mozzarella, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, marinated olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, crisp lettuce and a red wine vinaigrette.
Boardwalk Field Greens with fresh greens topped with tomatoes, blue cheese, cucumbers, Craisins dried cranberries, caramelized pecans, golden raisins, and a basil vinaigrette. This light, summer salad combines sweet and savory flavors and was my favorite dish on the menu. In the future, I could split this salad and a flatbread pizza or pasta with my husband and be completely satisfied.
I have always been impressed with the variety of kid’s meals offered at the resort. My son suffers from food allergies so eating out is always a challenge. From our experience at the park, we have always been able to speak to the chef or a cast member to view a list of ingredients in the foods and very often, an alternative has been suggested for my son. Here is what the dining venue offers for children:
Kid’s cheese pizza
Little bell pasta with alfredo sauce
Spaghetti with turkey meatballs
Each dish is served with baby carrots, seasonal fruit and a choice of low fat milk, small low fat Nesquick chocolate milk, Minute Maid juice box, small Dasani water or small soda.
The venue offers a smaller toddler meal for children under 3 which includes Cheesy Macaroni served with smooth applesauce and a small low fat milk. Juice or a small bottle of Dasani water can be requested if desired.
You may have noticed that I tend to have a bit of a sweet tooth. I don’t typically serve dessert at home because I allow it when we’re out and about. You have 3 options to select from at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and they are each uniquely delicious.
Dessert pizza
Espresso Brownie
Limoncello cheesecake
Both Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill share a spacious outdoor seating area. There are plenty of shaded and covered areas for dining. The venue is perfect for a family-style summer meal at the park…right before World of Color!
Stay tuned for my upcoming review of Paradise Garden Grill.
No compensation was received for this post.
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I can’t wait to go to California Adventure again, I loved it! I was there a few years ago. And I am generally impressed with the food at Disneyland. It’s way better than places like Magic Mountain.