A “Grand” Dining Spot

For more than a decade Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa has been known for innovative cuisine at the exceptional Napa Rose restaurant. Chef Andrew Sutton’s contemporary California cuisine is its claim to fame making it a must-do on your Disneyland® Resort list. Focusing on only what is fresh and seasonal, guests dine in a lovely Arts and Crafts-style room with murals of the California wine country, an exciting exhibition kitchen, and massive windows overlooking Disney’s California Adventure® Park.

Begin by ordering the ridiculously delicious Smiling Tiger Salad composed of greens tossed with baby radishes, spicy diced filet mignon, and a rich coconut-milk vinaigrette topped with savory lobster tempura—definitely lives up to the hype.

And even though pizza isn’t your idea of California cuisine, Napa Rose’s luscious signature version with smoked prosciutto, red grapes, caramelized onions, and oh-so-creamy Cambozola cheese hits the mark; however, on a subsequent visit, the seasonal lamb and cherries pizzetta’s center was undercooked with cheese not bubbly and brown enough for my taste.

Salmon served three ways: roasted with Meyer lemon, escabeche-style (like a ceviche), and tangerine cured sashimi with dill (much like gravlax) was a big hit as was the sublime seared diver scallops bathed in a bed of lemon sauce with diced tomatoes, just a hint of vanilla, and accompanied by chive potatoes speckled with lobster.

Delicious essentials are a wild striped bass arriving crispy-skinned, bathed in flavorful tomato broth, and surrounded with Manila clams and tender haricot verts; or a perfectly pink duck breast with a rhubarb orange marmalade thankfully lacking in what could have been cloying sweetness served in a simple au jus with nice spring onions and kale.

Maybe go with the tender filet mignon whose preparation changes with the seasons; ours was served with a highly flavored braised oxtail ragu in a vibrant Cabernet jus with precious baby corn fritters. And speaking of another must it’s the truffled mac and cheese served piping hot in a miniature copper pot!

If you love to watch the action in the kitchen consider the restaurant’s Chef’s Counter seating up to eight people with two seatings per evening. At the counter are three menu options: the regular dining room menu, a four-course Vintner’s Table pre-fixe menu that changes weekly, or simply have Chef prepare a multi-course meal according to his whim and your taste. Feel free to chat up the kitchen staff, asking any questions that might come to mind.

If you arrive with no reservations it’s possible to dine in the restaurant’s spacious lounge where a full menu is served along with cocktails and the award-winning California wine list. And don’t hesitate to heed your server’s wine suggestion since, believe it or not, every server in the restaurant is also a sommelier.

Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World® Resort. She is Chief Executive Concierge at Glass Slipper Concierge and has appeared as a leading Disney expert on two Travel Channel specials, Disney Splurge! and Disney Royalty. She has also been cited numerous times in national news articles, in such notable publications as The New York Times and Forbes Traveler, as an expert on the Walt Disney World® Resort.