= Cara's Favorite
Contemporary Southern Californian cuisine. Lunch and dinner.
Housed in a replica of the original Carthay Circle Theatre, where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937, this lavish, second-story restaurant exudes classic luxury with an emphasis on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. No dowdy décor here. Instead, there’s a masculine, old-Hollywood look with heavy drapery, hardwood flooring, rich wood paneling, a frescoed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ceiling, inlaid tables (sans tablecloths), loads of banquettes, and candelabra-style chandeliers. The first restaurant in the world to open its doors with 92 sommeliers, here you’ll find 250 international wines on its prestigious menu with thirty available by the glass in both the restaurant and downstairs lounge. The problem is that it is sometimes hit or miss here when it comes to the cuisine.
For intimate dining worlds away from the theme parks, you MUST request to be seated in either the Hyperion or the Buena Vista room, single-table private rooms seating up to five and waited on by the upper echelon of the wait staff—a real treat for any diner. However, no matter how posh this restaurant is purported to be, it’s still in a theme park and thus subject to those who ignore the business casual dress code and believe shorts, Mickey Mouse ears, and tennis shoes are de riguer. But if you seek the bliss of a quiet respite and the promise of food a few notches above that of the usual run-of-the-mill park restaurants, then Carthay Circle is a perfect choice.
Cara’s Tip: Choose an outdoor terrace seat if you want to catch the action on Buena Vista Street, but realize that the tradeoff is missing the ambiance of the inside dining room.
If you are looking for a lighter meal head to the restaurant’s lounge where signature classic cocktails match with small plate appetizers
Gastropub cuisine at Pixar Pier. Brunch, lunch and dinner.
I have to say I love the redo of this casual restaurant with its open-air dining room overlooking Pixar Pier. Go for a platter of the amazing lobster nachos, then order up a nice brew or glass of wine to soak in the atmosphere of one fun park.
Italian cuisine. Lunch and dinner.
Not the very best restaurant around but one that offers atmospheric al fresco dining in a Tuscan villa setting and acceptable Italian fare. Perhaps best on the menu is the rib-eye steak made extra delcious with the golden-brown garlic stack potatoes and crisp-tender brussels sprouts.
Cara’s Tip: If you are in the mood to nosh, then forget the full meal and enjoy a nice glass of Californian wine along with a platter of bruschetta or fried calamari.