Exit Sutton

When Disney California Adventure, debuted, The Napa Rose restaurant was one of the few things that I was impressed with. It was different from anything else offered at the Disneyland Resort and a huge step above in both the culinary and customer service aspects of dining.



Andrew Sutton joined Disney in 2000 as the chef who oversaw the culinary portion of Napa Rose. Prior to joining Disney, Sutton spent seven years as executive chef at the Ivy Award-winning Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley and five years with Dean Fearing at the five-star, five-diamond Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas. The December 2006 image below shows Sutton at work:



Dining at Napa Rose’s Chef's table in 2013, Sutton consulted us about what we liked before preparing our meal.



I always enjoyed Napa Rose; the food was delicious, the plates were pieces of art, and the service was impeccable.





The one difference I noticed between Napa Rose and other comparable high-caliber restaurants was that you definitely got the feeling that they didn’t want you to linger. Courses came out quickly like clockwork and tables were turned over just as fast. Eat, enjoy, and leave.



Sutton’s success with Napa made him the culinary golden boy of the Disney Corporation. Soon after, he was given the Carthay Circle restaurant at Disney California Adventure. The theme of that restaurant was old Hollywood, to align with the newly added Buena Vista Street.



The food, however, looked like it had just come out of the Napa Rose kitchen. The customer service didn’t quite port over as well. It seemed like they were trying to mimic professional wait-staff but couldn’t quite pull it off.



Looking for ways to maximize profits in other areas of the Disneyland Resort, Club 33 received a makeover and Sutton was also part of that package. Bye-bye Chef Marcel, hello Napa Rose cuisine.



Club 33 or Napa Rose? Hard to tell. Long-time Club 33 members were not happy that the more traditional and hearty fare was replaced with larger plates and smaller portions. Sutton’s “fancy” is not really what the typical Disney guest is looking for, let alone familiar with.



Sutton was also tasked with the 2017 21 Royal private dining venture, which charged nearly 20K for a multicourse meal. Nope, never dined there, but I could make a very educated guess about what the plates looked like.

Did I like Sutton’s culinary choices? Heck yes. However, having the same chef for four different restaurants is the dining equivalent of selling Disney plush in every store at the resort. You remove the diversity of experiencing culinary choices that resonate with the environment you are experiencing. While the reasons for Sutton’s “departure” have not been made public, it isn’t difficult to surmise what occurred. The announcement came shortly after a massive restructure of the Disneyland Resort. I would guess that a mix of economics and a desire for new trends played into that decision.

See more Napa Rose restaurant photos at my main website.

Grand Californian Holiday

Welcome to the Grand Californian at the Disneyland Resort, where Holiday decor greets you at the entrance. I'd never noticed these before, so not sure if they are something new or not. The gingerbread house inside the lobby was impressive.



The Christmas Tree towers over the lobby:



A nighttime view of the pool, with the lights behind the Castle visible in the background:



The rooms at the Grand Californian are spectacular, with Craftsman-style furnishings throughout.



For dinner on this particular visit back in November, we ate at the Napa Rose, being fortunate enough to get the Chef's Table.





What a good looking bunch.



Executive Chef Andrew Sutton was front and center:



It was a joy to watch him work with his team; rather than create a loud and raucous reality show yelling match, he quietly showed them how to create what he envisioned.



Each mouth watering course was a work of art.



Digging the copper pot that the Truffled "Mac & Cheese" Orecchiette Pasta is served in.



The rose for which the restaurant is named.



More grand-ness awaits at my main website.

60th Anniversary Trip, Pt. 7: Lunch at Carthay

The Carthay Circle Restaurant is located at the end of Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure. What a fitting climactic landmark, making it the DCA counterpoint to Disneyland's Castle. The interior is even more impressive than the exterior. The design team perfectly captured the era and made this a place of taste that is appropriately restrained.





In the display case up front you can find a plaster bust of humorist Robert Benchley:



A 1941 edition of "The Reluctant Dragon," also a Disney cartoon utilized Benchley in its live-action sequences.



The lobby also contains a reproduction of the painting "Crossing Donner Lake" by Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939) which was created for the Drop Curtain on stage at the original Carthay Circle Theater:



The 60th Anniversary bedazzlement can be found on the light fixtures:



One of the upstairs dining rooms:



I LOVE this mural overhead:



A photo of Julie Andrews can be found in this dining alcove:



My delicious lunch, which was a chicken and spinach ravioli:



After Carthay, we ventured to Pacific Wharf to see the newly spiffed up Boudin Bakery.





A vintage looking automobile greets guests out front; wonder if it works?



A friendly cast member was handing out samples of the tasty Boudin sourdough bread.



Mercifully Rosie O'Donnell was nowhere to be found.



Instead, guests can peek around at their own pace, look at the photos, and read the informational displays without Rosie chiming in.



NEXT UP: Ariel's Undersea Adventure!

Plenty more Carthay Circle goodness at my main website.

Disneyland Trip Report: Napa Rose

Last weekend marked the 7th time I have run in the annual Disneyland Half Marathon. I missed the first year due to a bone spur; after seeing all of the fun three of my friends had running it, I decided it was time to get off the sidelines and start running again. Even though the course has been the same, each year has provided a different challenge, depending on the amount of training I have done and also the temperatures. Southern California is known for its perfect weather, but even perfection has a few flaws. This weekend looked like it could be a scorcher.

The price of the race was a scorcher, too. The cost rose to $175, which is an amazing amount when you consider that it doesn't go to charity nor does the race provide the same "bang" it did in its initial years. What's even more amazing is that despite the price hike, the event sold out in record time. A classic case of supply and demand.



The Expo Event for the race is always held in the Disneyland Hotel. The goody bags used to be filled with snacks, running beans, and other assorted helpful vendor goodies (thus the name of the bag). This year, the bag came with one Clif Bar and an assortment of Disney printed propaganda that found its way into the circular file. A "Little Mermaid" magnet was included too, which had a real potential for disaster as the racing bibs are not supposed to get anywhere near a magnet or they would be rendered useless for the timing of the race. I will give kudos to the race shirt, though. Every year they keep getting better as far as the visual design appeal.

Sean Astin was speaking in the ballroom as I was picking up my goodie bag. There were a fair amount of people listening to him as he imparted some inspirational words.



The prop set for the Half Marathon Runners' photo opp:



After a nap back at the hotel, it was time to head over to the Grand Californian Hotel for the "last supper" before the race. So much has been said about how Disney California Adventure was so poorly done in its original incarnation, yet one cannot say the same about The Grand Californian. It is the crown jewel of the Disneyland Resort.



The GC also boasts the best restaurant at the Resort, The Napa Rose (and yes, I am including Club 33 in the competition).



Once you enter, you can feel the warmth of the Arts & Craft inspired design, which was given a tastefully modern spin.



While waiting for your table to be readied, guests can enjoy a cocktail and appetizer in the spacious lounge.



I was able to enjoy dinner at the Chef's Table, which affords a view of the meal being prepared. In addition, we chose to let the Executive Chef, Andrew Sutton, create a special menu for us. He asked about food allergies and specific dislikes, and then went to town whipping up something that would help our run the next morning.



The five-course dinner was incredible. Sutton's choices were innovative, delicious, and visually appealing in how they were plated.



A light dessert was served with wishes for a good run written in dark chocolate:



Well-fed, walking home to the hotel, I passed the starting line marquee. I couldn't wait for the race to start the next morning!



See more Napa Rose photos on my Napa Rose web page.