The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (145 page)

Gr
ub:

Carthay Circle Lounge and Restaurant
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Fine dining amidst a wealth of
Disney
memorabilia.  Save your pennies and make your reservation for this once-upon-a-dream dining experience.
]

Buena Vista Street
’s classiest restaurant and lounge are located in its most striking landmark, the
Carthay Circle Theatre
.  Below the gleaming stucco and delicate tiles and wrought iron of the replica theater’s tower, Guests enjoy fine dining and beverages, and superlative customer service.

Guests shouldn’t be offput by the
Carthay
’s fancy look and expensive menu.  Even if you don’t plan to dine here, you can visit the lower level and enjoy a beverage in the lounge, or simply listen to the jazz renditions of
Disney
tunes, and examine the many wonderful
Disney
photos and artifacts that decorate the ground floor.

This isn’t just a restaurant.  It’s
a tribute to the high-water mark of
Disney
’s early years, when
Walt
’s most ambitious creation to date,
Snow White
, revolutionized animation. 
Walt Disney’
s
Snow White
premiered at Hollywood’s
Carthay Circle Theatre
in 1937.  Hence, the address of
DCA
’s
Carthay Circle Theatre
: 
937 Carthay Circle
.  The “37” is a reference to the year of Snow White’s premiere–and that’s only one of many nods to
Disney
’s past that you’ll find here.

After admiring the beautiful exterior of the theater–its terrazzo entrance floor, its grand marquee,
the
Mickey
silhouettes subtly concealed in marble and iron–you enter via the door on the left, leading you into the restaurant’s lobby, or the door in the center, leading you into the lounge.  The door on the right is the entrance to the private
1901 Lounge
; only platinum members of
Club 33
are admitted.  (A Cast Member on duty outside the theater ensures that Guests select the correct door.)

The ground-floor lobby and lounge are elegant; the second-floor restaurant exquisite.  Dark woods dominate upstairs and down, delicately carved, often scrolled in a storybook style.  The color scheme upstairs is predominantly gold, from the gold-painted ceiling beams to the golden marble of the table tops to the golden upholstery.  In the lobby and lounge, gold complement
s hues of rose and wine.

Everywhere there are electric candles, in wall sconces and chandeliers, and accents of brass, and the gleaming crystal of glasses and lamp covers and window panes.  Fine paintings hang on the wall, alongside framed photos of
Walt
and
Lillian
and key
Disney
moments.  Cabinets display
Disney
artifacts.  Furniture provides simple comfort and quality on the ground floor–witness the classic square-backed chairs in the lobby, paired with small marble-topped tables.  Furniture is more ornate in the restaurant above, and the décor more elaborate–note the central ceiling panels painted with nature scenes.

If you
merely want a beverage or snack, take a seat in the lovely
Carthay Circle
Lounge
and soak in the atmosphere; it’s like hanging in the bar at a fabulous golden-age movie premiere, the type
Walt
and
Lillian
attended in golden age Hollywood.  Beers and wines are reckoned top-notch; signature cocktails are considered stars, flavorful concoctions in solid glasses garnished with skewers of plump olives or fresh fruits.

Relax.  Ease back in your chair.  Review the lounge menu.  Make sure you’ve brought sufficient funds, especially if you’re picking up the tab for your group.  Snacks are inventive and filling, ranging in price from moderate
to pricey ($10 - $19 each), including a
Butcher’s Plate
,
Cala Rita Flatbread Plate
,
Duck Confit Sliders
,
Ebi Shrimp Roll
,
Lobster Pad-Thai Imperial Roll
,
Spicy Chicken Roll
,
Chilled Watermellon Skewers
,
Queso Fundido
,
Santa Monica Devilled Eggs
(very popular), and
Vietnamese Twice-Cooked Beef Taco
.

Lounge desserts are $
10 each, gems like
Cake Pop Trios
, and
Mini Mousse Cones
.

Children
can enjoy the lounge ambiance too.  Soft drinks are served, and kids have their own special menu.  Soup-of-the-day is $5. 
Berries
with whipped cream or a
Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich
are around $4 each.  A layered
Green Apple Caramel Parfait Push Pop
is $5.  Kids’ lounge entrées are $7 - $10: 
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
,
Mini Crispy Tacos
,
Mini Hot Dogs
, or a
Noodle Bowl
.

If you plan to
lunch or dine upstairs, proceed directly to the host station against the lobby’s east wall, next to the staircase, when you arrive.  Alert the Cast Members–unfailingly attentive–that you’re interested in dining.  Hopefully you called ahead ((714) 781-DINE) and made a reservation.  If not, you might have to make a reservation for later that day–or week.  The
Carthay Circle Restaurant
is classy and pricey and
popular
; it’s rare that you can simply drop in on a whim.

If you have a reservation, a Cast Member will invite you to relax in the lobby or lounge, enjoying the ambiance, and a drink or bite to eat, while you wait to be seated.  Soon a Cast Member will lead you upstairs and seat you in one of the gorgeous dining rooms, or on the north or west terrace.
  There is an elevator for party members who cannot climb stairs.

Service is pleasant, informed, and leisurely.  Build plenty of time into your itinerary for this meal.  And, as noted above, bring sufficient funds, especially if you’re the host or hostess. 
Even lunch is expensive at the
Carthay Circle Restaurant
–Exhibit A is a $22 cheeseburger–but well worth every penny.  Executive Chef
Andrew Sutton
, of award-winning
Napa Rose
fame, has designed imaginative menus with the best of ingredients.

Lunch a
ppetizers (which can be shared) run $11 - $16.  Salads cost $11 - $23.  Pasta is $25 - $27.  Fish costs around $30.  The eggplant sandwich is a comparatively modest $20.  Short ribs cost $27—and there’s always the aforementioned $22 cheeseburger.  Desserts range from $11 - $12.  None of these prices include beverage or tip.

The lunch menu is extensive
, even though it was streamlined in 2013.  No matter what your fellow Guests prefer, or how hungry they are (or aren’t), there will be something on the menu to their taste.  Appetizers and entrées include:  Apps: 
Carthay Green Salad
,
Carthay Signature Fried Biscuits
(Guests rave about them)
, Fire Cracker Duck Wings, Ginger Pork Potstickers
(with
Mango Voodoo
sauce!)
, Heirloom Tomato Salad, Pacific Ono Ceviche, Seasonal Soup, and Warm Asparagus;
Entrées: 
Angus Beef Arugala Salad, Carthay Angus Burger
,
Carthay Strawberry Chicken Salad
,
Meditteranean Grilled Eggplant Salad
,
Rigatoni Pasta with Roasted Chicken
,
Sauteed Short Rib Ravioli
, and
Skuna Bay Salmon
.  Desserts are simple but rich, and seasonal:  Brownies, chocolate cake, pound cake, pie, and more.

The kids’ lunch menu is much simpler, and quite reasonably priced:  Small
Caesar salad or tomato soup for $5;
Orecchiette Pasta
($8),
Soba Noodle Bowl
($7),
Today’s Catch
($13), or
Traditional Mini Crispy Tacos with Chicken
($10); and, to complete the meal, a scoop of
Ice Cream
($4) or a
Green Apple Caramel Parfait Push Pop
($5).  The entrées are
Mickey Check Meals
, meaning that they meet
Disney Nutritional Guidelines
—good news for both parents and children.

Now … Dinner. 
Like the lunch menu, the dinner menu has been streamlined but still features something for every taste.  Prices are comparable to lunch prices:  Appetizers range from $11 - $17, and entrées from $25 - $44.  Good news for carnivores:  You’ll find a few more substantial and sophisticated meat entrées for dinner, which range from $37 - $44.

The
dinner dishes are as follows: Apps:
Carthay Green Salad
,
Carthay House Biscuits, Fire Cracker Duck Wings, Ginger Pork Potstickers, Heirloom Tomato Salad
,
Pacific Ono Ceviche, Sauteed Crab Cake, Seasonal Soup,
and
Warm California Asparagus;
Entrées:
Grilled Angus Ribeye, Rigatoni Pasta with Sauteed Chicken
,
Sauteed Short Rib Raviolis
,
Sauteed Shrimp
,
Skuna Bay Salmon
,
Vegetable Risotto
, and
Western Cut Pork Chop
.  Sides include broccoli, potatoes, and steamed rice ($7 - $8).  Desserts are seasonal and may include fruit, ice cream, pound cake, pie, and sundaes, for around $10.

The
children’s dinner menu is almost the same as the lunch menu, adding a $13 beef filet.  The kids’ dinner menu in full:  Small salad or soup for $5;
Mickey Check Meals
: 
Orecchiette Pasta
($8),
Soba Noodle Bowl
($7),
Today’s Catch
($13), or
Traditional Mini Crispy Tacos with Chicken
($10);
Grilled Petit Filet of Beef
($13); and
Ice Cream
for $4 or
Green Apple Caramel Parfait Push Pop
for $5.

The
private
1901 Lounge
serves the
Carthay Circle Lounge
tapas and beverages, with some signature
magic
(like the crystal ice sphere) liberally added to the mix.

Although the
Carthay Circle Lounge and Restaurant
have only been open for a short time, the menus have changed dramatically as offerings are streamlined and as the executive chef and sous chefs concoct exciting new signature cuisine.  Dishes also vary seasonally to keep the menus fresh and interesting.  Look for special wine flights and limited-time dishes when you visit, as well as
World of Color
dining packages.

The
unfortunate truth is that not everyone can afford to lunch or dine at the
Carthay Circle Lounge and Restaurant
–and very,
very
few can gain entrée to the private
1901 Lounge
.  But any Guest can stroll through the main lounge and lobby, examining the
Disney
photos, asking Cast Members questions about
Disney
history, partaking of the atmosphere.  And if you can save up for a drink, for some tapas, for a lunch or dinner, then do that too.  The gracious dining rooms, the views of
Buena Vista Street
from the terraces–there’s nothing else like them at
DCA
.

And if you’re lucky enough to be someone who dines gourmet every day, and
can converse with sommeliers about pairing wines and dishes, then good on you.  The
Carthay Circle Restaurant
is decidedly going to be one of your favorite haunts.

Bon appétit
, fellow Guests!  Enjoy the beautiful replica of the palace where
Walt Disney
’s
Snow White
was unveiled and changed animation forever. 
Did You Know?
  Raised in challenging circumstances in the Midwest,
Walt
was, until the day he died, a chili-and-beans and hash and hot dog kind of guy.  As his career progressed and success led to success,
Walt
was able to take
Lillian
to fancy restaurants, especially for movie premieres and celebrations. 
Walt
could “put on the dog” when he had to.  His favorite nice eatery was the
Tam O’Shanter
in
Los Feliz
, near his
Hyperion
studios. 
Walt
ate at
Chasen’s
–not surprising, since
Chasen’s
was famous for its chili.  For an excellent article about
Walt
’s eating preferences, check out
Disney
expert
Jim Korkis
’ well-researched piece at the mouseplanet site: 
http://www.mouseplanet.com/9723/Eating_Like_Walt_Disney
.
Ice Vision:
  So, you
totally
know you want your own ice ball press, like the one in the
1901 Lounge
, to amaze and entertain your friends, neighbors, and family at your next fancy-dress soiree (or kegger, or whatever).  Ice spheres are supposed to keep drinks chilled longer, while diluting them less than ice cubes do.  The Premium Cirrus Ice Ball Press starts at $429.  Macallan sells a pricier version at
www.macallan.com
.
  The Macallan press costs over $1,000 based on January 2013 exchange rates–but, hey, it’s Macallan, and they certainly know drinks.