Going to try to knock out a few more meals today because we're heading back to WDW from Dec 7-10th for a quick trip to see the Christmas decorations! We have some pretty great dining planned for that trip too, including dining at the Festival of the Holidays booths, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Jiko, Citrico's, Skipper Canteen, and California Grill brunch again. I want to have this trip report done before I go, so let's see how much I can get done today!
Our first meal of the next day was at In n Out! We took a Lyft to get there since there wasn't one super close to the hotel. I had tried In n Out before, but my husband hadn't, so he was really excited to try it. I didn't take any pictures so here's a stock photo. He ordered the grilled cheese and the animal style fries. I ordered regular fries and a Double Double. My opinion of the food was basically the same as the first time I went - I didn't really care for the fries and found them kind of bland, and I do like the burgers quite a bit, even though they lean a little salty. My husband liked his grilled cheese, and really liked the animal style fries. I'm guessing all the toppings hide the blandness of the fries. I would go back to In n Out, but I wouldn't make a special trip to do so.
For dinner that night, we headed into Disneyland to eat at the Plaza Inn. I ordered the famous fried chicken (three pieces of Chicken fried to a golden brown and seasoned with distinctive Herbs and Spices, served with Mashed Potatoes, Buttermilk Biscuit and a mixture of Vegetables). I got extra mashed potatoes because I knew my husband wasn't getting mashed potatoes and would try to snatch some of mine! This was very good. It wasn't the best fried chicken I've ever eaten, but it was surprisingly delicious for quick service. The mashed potatoes were also very good, nice and creamy. The biscuit was pretty dry and tasteless.
My husband ordered the
Chipotle-Pineapple Glazed Salmon (topped with a Kiwi-Mango Relish served with Rice Pilaf and seasonal Vegetables). He says this was fine. Pretty healthy for a quick service meal. Where Disneyland food really shines to me is the variety of quick service meals they have.
My husband loves the Main Street Electrical Parade and was so excited that it was going to be performed while we were there, so we HAD to get the speciality cake. This was berry-flavored, and it didn't taste as chemical-y as I expected from the brightness of the colors. It was very moist and delicious.
The next day, we pregamed our lunch with the Lemon Dole Whip from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats in DCA. I loved this, just like I've loved every Dole Whip variation I've tried. My husband said that it was probably his least favorite Dole Whip, which is still a high compliment! It was very fresh tasting and lemony.
For lunch, we went to Carthay Circle, which was a meal I was very excited for. We had the World of Color dining package, so we didn't get to choose our selections from the full menu, but spoiler: everything we ordered was amazing. I started with the Chicken Tortilla Soup (Poblano Chilies, Avocado, Citrus Crème, fresh Coriander). This was delicious! It was very spicy and flavorful. I loved the crunch from the tortillas on top, and the citrus crema added a little brightness to it.
We added another appetizer of the
Artichoke Meyer Lemon Fritters (with Yellow Bell Pepper Coulis). These were incredible. You could taste both the brightness of the lemon and the richness of the artichoke and they were very crispy and fresh. The pepper coulis was also very good.
My husband got the Carthay Salad (Farmers Market figs, candied almonds, charred orange vinaigrette). He really enjoyed this, and especially loved the figs.
I ordered the
Chicken Meatballs with Tagliatelle Pasta (Sun Gold Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil, Grana Padana Parmigiana). I sound like a broken record, but this was also amazing. The pasta was clearly fresh, the sauce was so good, and the chicken meatballs were very flavorful. I normally don't even like chicken meatballs that much! I would happily get this again.
My husband ordered the Baja White Shrimp (Bok Choy, Garnet Yams, Thai Basil Coconut-Jalapeno Broth). Again, he really liked this and was surprised by the amount of shrimp he got. He really liked the flavors of the broth.
I've hit the picture limit, so I'll cover the rest in another post!