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.

New Orleans vs. New Orleans Square, Pt. 2

I had to cover food; anyone that knows me is aware that the restaurants have a heavy bearing on whether or not I like a city. Antoine’s in New Orleans was one of my favorites, but I had noticed the quality had definitely deteriorated on my last visit. The front of the restaurant could have been part of the inspiration for Disneyland’s Blue Bayou. Below is a shot of a delicious steak I enjoyed at Galatoire’s; probably one of the best I have ever eaten.

And dessert...the cheesecake was incredible. When I travel and dine, I do not count calories. That's what the daily routine is for.

New Orleans is known for its beignets and coffee that you would get at the world famous Café du Monde:

At Disneyland’s New Orleans Square, I once enjoyed these Mickey Mouse shaped beignets at the Café Orleans. Good...but not quite as good as their New Orleans cousin.

The exterior of the Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland, one of my favorite places to dine at Disneyland. While the food may not necessarily be out of this world, the experience and atmosphere help make up for that.

Their Monte Cristo sandwich was a staple for me until they changed the recipe and made it a bit more healthy. The fried cheesecake was also a casualty of that trend.

The nearby Mint Julep “bar” offers a refreshing non-alcoholic version of the southern beverage.

When Walt wanted a VIP supper club at Disneyland, it’s not surprising that he picked New Orleans Square as the location. While the city of New Orleans may be known for its decadence and partying, many of the restaurants have a very strict dress code not found out here in Southern California.

A lamb chop from my dinner at Club 33.

Speaking of partying, here is one of the most famous tourist traps in New Orleans, Pat O”Brien’s. It is known for its radioactive red Hurricane drink.

Club 33 added a jazz lounge/bar of its own back in 2014. Very few watering holes in New Orleans are this refined and sedate.

Still, it’s a fun place to sip and savor a beverage while at Disneyland.

Overall review of the food comparison is very similar to that of the architecture and atmosphere; if you want the deliciously decadent artery clogging experience, go to Louisiana. If you prefer your food sanitized and a little less greasy with drinks that are less potent, go to Disneyland.

Will there be a third post in this series? Of course!

See more New Orleans photos at my main website.

Disneyland Resort Christmas

Disneyland is a magical place; few can argue that it is most magical during the holidays when all of the special lights and decor are trotted out from the mothballs. The tree in Town Square towers over all; and to think the Bandstand that was originally here was removed because it blocked the view of the Castle!



The front of the Castle:



and while standing in line for Peter Pan, I got this one of the back of the Castle (which many know was originally supposed to be how the front looked!).



At night the lights go on and the Park is transformed once again. It almost makes the crowds bearable!



New Orleans Square is where I love to gravitate to.



Being able to experience the Court of Angels again is always a special treat. Our escort up to Club 33 danced down the stairs as if he was Gene Kelly!



He was gracious enough to take a shot of my friend Kevin and I before taking us up for our dinner.



As we entered the dining room, the Christmas Carolers were filling the room with their a capella harmonies.



They even took my request to sing "O Holy Night," and boy did it sound gorgeous!



A wreath hung over the controversial new window that is located where the fireplace once was.



Two more shots of the Court of Angels before returning to the Park:





Ah, the Castle at night, perfectly reflected in the moat.



Up close:



The Grand Californian is another place at the Disneyland Resort that is a favorite spot to hang out at the holidays.



Yet another massive tree to behold.



The Gingerbread House also appears to have been enlarged to gargantuan proportions!



The back side of Gingerbread!



Unfortunately, Santa was not here while I was taking my photos.



I hope you have a fantastic holiday weekend!

More Disneyland Resort Christmas photos at my main website.

Laocoön and His Sons at Disneyland

This sculpture has been something that has caught my eye each time I have visited Club 33. Residing in the main dining room, "Laocoön and His Sons" is not something that you just look at casually. The look of agony on Laocoön's face begs to be noticed. This is the first photo I took of it back in September 2007. Little did I know that nine years later I would have a very interesting story to piece together.

Flash forward to my most recent dinner at the Club, and our wonderful waitress Angela told us the backstory. The original statue was unearthed in Rome in 1506 and then placed on public display in the Vatican, where it still resides today. When it was excavated, there were a number of pieces missing from the statue. Angela told us that both Raphael and Michelangelo created what they thought his missing arms might look like, but that Michelangelo's interpretation won out.



At this point, my memory started humming. I remembered that I had seen another copy of this statue somewhere. Sure enough, just one month before I had seen it in Savannah at the Telfair Museum.



Carl Brandt, the Telfair's first director, traveled to Europe in 1883 to purchase works of art for the museum's collection. While there, he commissioned this plaster cast of the Roman sculpture dating from early in the first century AD. A vintage Telfair publication describes it:

"As priest of Apollo, Laocoön was commissioned by the Trojans to offer a bullock to Neptune. During the sacrifice two enormous serpents issued from the sea and attached his two sons, who stood next to the altar. The father attempted to defend his sons, but the serpents falling upon him, he died in greatest agony from their venomous bites."

I had also photographed it in Savannah back in March 2007, just 6 months before my photo at Club 33 was shot.



My brain continued to engage; if the original was in Rome at the Vatican, I wondered if I had seen it when I visited Rome back in 2004.

BINGO! From September 2004:



From Rome, to Savannah, to Club 33. The circle is complete!

More Daveland photos and fun at my main website.

Christmas at The Club Pt. 2

Now that we've enjoyed our beverages in the Jazz Lounge, it's time to mosey on over to Le (aka "the") Grand Salon Restaurant at Club 33. You just can't beat being greeted by these two. Are these pants too subtle for the season?



The vulture that once graced the Trophy Room is now out in the lobby:



The hallway leading to the Grand Salon:



This feller has been moved around a bit as well:



That face looks like someone who has eaten too many turkey legs at the Park.



An elegant place setting:



We were fortunate to have the Carolers follow us over:



Now we were able to get the inside view of this wreath that we had spotted outside from down below in New Orleans Square:



The peacock Christmas tree:



Festive garland:



The five course meal was delicious:





I also have to give kudos to the staff, who had definitely stepped up their game since my last visit to the Club in May.



No Daveland Club 33 post would be complete without a few shots of the Men's Room.



My subtle pants photobombed this one:





It was a beautiful evening, and I felt so fortunate to have been able to experience it during the Christmas season.



More Club 33 version 2.0 photos at my main website.