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View Full Version : Recs for a nice restaurant?



CarlieB
05-14-2002, 08:04 PM
We will be at the Resort for my boyfriend's birthday and I want to take him somewhere nice for dinner. There will be four of us, and I'm looking for recs for anywhere nice (price doesn't matter) either at the Resort, in one of the hotels or just in the Anaheim area (it would be nice if we didn't have to drive too far, as we would need to take a cab). Any recs would be much appreciated:-)

Iceman
05-14-2002, 08:43 PM
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney. Great food, varied wine list and specialty drink selection, and outstanding service. If you were willing to drive to L.A./Beverly Hills/South Bay area, then I would have other suggestions, too...

TerryTiger
05-14-2002, 08:47 PM
If you are going to be in Disneyland that day, then the Blue Bayou is a must! It is the nicest restaurant in the park and a truly magical experience. Being inside the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction makes it quite unique and the food is excellent. There is no other place like it.

CarlieB
05-14-2002, 08:49 PM
Thanks for the recs. Probably not so keen to drive that far, as we will have ditched the rental car by then, and will be relying on shuttles/cabs.

disneynut
05-14-2002, 08:52 PM
Originally posted by TerryTiger
If you are going to be in Disneyland that day, then the Blue Bayou is a must! It is the nicest restaurant in the park and a truly magical experience. Being inside the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction makes it quite unique and the food is excellent. There is no other place like it.

I have to second the BB. The food is good and the atmosphere is just wonderful. We're going to have our anniversary dinner there and I couldn't think of a better place at the resort I would want to have it.

AliKzam
05-14-2002, 09:05 PM
Being a fan of the Paradise Pier Hotel (Disneyland Pacific, Pan Pacific, Emerald Hotel), I would like to recommend the PCH Grill. It has a classy, calm atmosphere, and the food is nice. The prices are not so bad, either.
Unless, of course, it's no longer there. Last time I was there, it was still the Disneyland Pacific Hotel.

adriennek
05-14-2002, 09:16 PM
AliKzam: PCH Grill has changed since the hotel name changed and the reviews I've heard since then haven't been great.

I've had inconsistent experiences with Ralph Brennan's, but I do have a recommendation: NAPA ROSE.

It's awesome. My experience has been excellent and the reports I've heard here and from friends have been consistently excellent. They have an excellent wine list and they take advance priority seating (reservations.) Napa Rose is located inside the Grand Californian Hotel.

Adrienne K

cstephens
05-14-2002, 09:31 PM
The two places I would definitely recommend the highest are Napa Rose in the Grand Californian and Catal Restaurant in Downtown Disney. I also like Hook's Pointe on the Disneyland Hotel property as well. They're all very nice places for a birthday dinner, each with its own charms.

If you're interested in some reviews I've posted of my experiences at those restaurants, click here (http://www.colddeadfish.net/dlrdining.html) and then click on the appropriate links. I've got an older review of dinner at Catal, a very recent review of dinner at Hook's, and 3 reviews of Napa Rose, an older one of brunch, an older one of dinner and a recent one of dinner.

Have a great time!

80S ERA
05-15-2002, 07:03 AM
The top-notch restaurants with my experiences are as follows:

(In no order):

1. Blue Bayou - best atmosphere of any restaurant in the resort. Food is excellent (then again, I ALWAYS order prime rib there) and the service has ranged from great to average, at worst.
2. Grandville's Steak House - probaly the most "classy" of the public restaurants. When I say this, I mean they go all-out -- the plates on the tables are only decor. They have to take them away and bring more practical plates. However, I found the food below what you'd expect from a real steakhouse like Morton's of Chicago or Lawry's.
3. Napa Rose - situated in the luxurious Grand Californian overlooking the DCA wilderness is hard to beat. The food is expensive, the portions are somewhat small, but every bite is cherished. I guess, quality versus quantity?

I guess you'd have to take your pick.

Matterhorn Fan
05-15-2002, 11:51 AM
Originally posted by adriennek
PCH Grill has changed since the hotel name changed and the reviews I've heard since then haven't been great.I'm going to stick up for the PCH Grill (keep in mind that I never ate there before the hotel changed names, so maybe in comparison it's terrible, but still). I really like it. It's full-service, but pretty casual (if you're going for a nice dinner, I'd recommend the Blue Bayou based on atmosphere). The times I've been there, it wasn't crowded, and we were not rushed. I love their artichoke & spinach dip (I emailed guest relations and got the recipe, but it's confusing and it'd feed an army. If anyone's interested, I'll post a recipe later this summer after I've had time to figure out how to duplicate it).

Lani
05-15-2002, 01:46 PM
Originally posted by AliKzam
I would like to recommend the PCH Grill.Bleaugh! Never never never would I wish this on anyone. The place is now ghastly. We finally went there a few weeks ago, not realizing that the menu has changed. Do not -- I repeat, do not eat there, unless you wish to go to a noisy overpriced place full of children celebrating birthdays. Worse, the food we had wasn't even that great. :(

The only good thing about the place is that there was ZERO wait time when we got there; we were seated immediately on a Saturday evening.

The place was only half full. We should have taken that as a sign, but alas, didn't realize it until we had already settled in. That is, there's a REASON the place can't fill up, even on a busy Saturday evening (when all of Downtown Disney's eateries easily would have a one-hour wait minimum).

Lani
05-15-2002, 01:47 PM
Originally posted by cstephens
The two places I would definitely recommend the highest are Napa Rose in the Grand Californian and Catal Restaurant in Downtown Disney. I also like Hook's Pointe on the Disneyland Hotel property as well. They're all very nice places for a birthday dinner, each with its own charms.I second the vote for Hook's Pointe. They have a great creme brulee with three flavors in three little dishes. Yumm!

I have not yet eaten at Napa Rose, but I am told it is very good.

CarlieB
05-15-2002, 01:51 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by lani
[B]I second the vote for Hook's Pointe. They have a great creme brulee with three flavors in three little dishes. Yumm!


Mmmmm, Creme Brulee:) Without a doubt, one of my favourite desserts.

cstephens
05-15-2002, 02:41 PM
Originally posted by lani
I second the vote for Hook's Pointe. They have a great creme brulee with three flavors in three little dishes. Yumm!

Really? Bummer, they didn't have that when I was there. On our last visit, I had the creme brulee, and it was just one regular flavor. I'm spoiled because the very first time I had creme brulee, which was about a year ago, it was at Catal, and it was three little dishes of different flavors. Everywhere else I've had it since, it's just one big one-flavor dish (don't have the creme brulee at Storyteller, btw - it wasn't very good, tasted more like pudding), and I'm always disappointed because I always want the three little ones. But we're having dinner at Catal soon, so hopefully, three flavors of creme brulee for me! :)


I also agree that PCH Grill is nowhere near what it used to be. I used to love the place, but since the menu change, there's nothing on the menu that really attracts me, and the service has been not very good, so the totality is not nearly reason enough to make that trek.

80S ERA
05-16-2002, 09:47 AM
Originally posted by lani
Bleaugh! Never never never would I wish this on anyone. The place is now ghastly. We finally went there a few weeks ago, not realizing that the menu has changed. Do not -- I repeat, do not eat there, unless you wish to go to a noisy overpriced place full of children celebrating birthdays. Worse, the food we had wasn't even that great. :(

I, too, have noticed that the menu has changed. My gf and I went there a few months ago after craving seared ahi tuna, only to find they no longer offered it. We ended up disappointed with the dishes we did get (I forgot what we ordered). Not too long ago, the menus were printed on fold-out / map-like papers that you could take home. Now, that was the better menu! Not great -- but OK. One thing that hasn't changed is their bad service.

hefferdude
05-16-2002, 12:17 PM
If it's a nice evening and you like people watching,
get a view table on the outside balcony of Catal or Jazz
Kitchen. We had a pressed spinach salad, grilled
halibut and a S.A. beer ( or 2,3...):D Just people
watched the night away.
Can't remember if you can see the fireworks from their. Hmmm.
The food and service at Hooke's was good. Peppercorn swordfish!
In the park, Blue Bayou! Undisputed atmosphere king.
Too bad about the PCH grill. :crying:
We've had some excellent evenings there awhile back..
Wha' happened ? ( and you can see the fireworks from there. )
( Sound's like we better try Napa Rose ASAP )

Allysen1Derland
05-17-2002, 11:37 AM
I love Catal @ Downtown Disney! They have a seared ahi tuna with pomegranate seeds that is so yummy! Plus, the bar really has a pretty view- my boyfriend and I got to watch the fireworks while drinking our appletinis, completely uninteruppted, with a very clear view!

peasy
05-17-2002, 11:45 AM
I have never eaten there but have heard good reviews about Granville's steakhouse at the Disneyland hotel. We ate at Storyteller's cafe on our last trip and it was very quiet and very nice. Clean and elegant, but not stuffy. Food was good too. Prices are reasonable. Blue Bayou is always fun! Hope you have a great time!