Our Christmas night dinner plans were for California Grill.
My DH and I ate there on my 40th birthday...a few years ago.
We were excited to eat here now with the girls and also to see the new renovations and new menu. However, I have to say I almost cancelled this ADR because of all the bad reviews I was reading here on the dis and other places. No one seemed to like the new menu and people were talking about their bad experiences.
We decided not to cancel because despite the negative reviews, all of us were super excited to eat here on Christmas night and watch Wishes from the private balcony.
All I can say is I'M SO GLAD WE DIDN'T CANCEL!! This was for sure my favorite dining experience of the week.
As we parked and walked into the Contemporary, we saw this beautiful tree outside:
We made our way to the 4th floor podium where you check in. Two young CM's were there to check us in. We had so much fun talking with them and Karis was the cutest thing ever. Right as we were about to walk away and go on to the elevator, we gave each of them one of our Christmas treat bags. Oh my goodness, you would have thought we gave Karis a winning lottery ticket. She was so excited. She just couldn't stop thanking us and saying Merry Christmas. It was such a fun experience. She was certainly the most appreciative CM we gave a treat bag to.
So we got into the elevator and rode up to the gorgeous California Grill. We all got dressed up for this meal and took this family photo at the check in area:
It's one of my favorite family photos.
Before we could even order, guess who showed up at our table? It was Karis, the CM from downstairs who was so excited about the treat bag we gave her. She had come to give us a thank you note (and a bunch of Mickey stickers). I should have gotten a picture with her, but here's what she left us:
Edwardo was our server. He was FABULOUS! He asked what we wanted to drink and asked about wine, etc. I explained that none of us are alcohol drinkers so he asked if we'd like non-alcoholic specialty drinks. That sounded great!
DD17 and I both got virgin strawberry daiquiris.
DD21 got a virgin pina colada:
DH got a diet coke (no photo)
Edwardo was very convincing when he talked us into trying one of the flatbreads. Of course it was not covered on the
ddp, but he was correct - it was delicious!
Oven-dried Tomato Flatbread - Beefsteak Tomatoes, Mozzarella di Bufala, Aged Balsamic $13
And the bread was delicious:
For entrees, DD17 got this:
Bell & Evans Chicken - smoked Tillamook-yukon potatoes, braised lacinato kale, carmelized onion jus $35.00
DD21 and I both got this:
Oak-fired Filet of Beef - Heirloom Tomato Risotto, Marinted Baby Vine Tomatoes, Petite Basil, Tomato Butter $49
DH got this:
Bison Center Cut Strip Loin - celery root puree, forest mushrooms, big bread pudding, madeira-fig demi-glace $50
Our entrees were all yummy. Edwardo was so attentive and professional. MMM - what a good meal.
Of course, it was not over though - we still had dessert! We were all very much looking forward to dessert actually. Once I showed the sundae sampler pictures to my family, they got very excited about trying it.
DH and DD17 both got the sundae sampler:
Sundae Sampler - Unique and playful Sundaes with a nostalgic twist: Caramel Corn, Coke Float, and Strawberry and Basil $12.00
We sorta all shared:
I got this:
Warm Homemade Fritters - Banana-stuffed, Cinnamon-dusted Fritters with Toasted Caramel Marshmallows complemented with a Trio of Dipping Sauces $12.00
DD21 got the seasonal tasting:
When we settled up our check, we casually asked Edwardo if he had any kids. He said he had a daughter and they were able to celebrate Christmas with his family the weekend before. So when we were ready to pay, we left Edwardo 2 goodie bags and told him one was for him and one was for his daughter. He was so touched that we thought of his daughter.
Our dinner was timed pretty much perfectly. By the time we finished up, it was about 30 minutes until Wishes started. We all used the restroom (those are some NICE bathrooms) and waited outside on the private balcony.
When DH and I were here several years ago for my 40th birthday, it was Sept. and it was much warmer. I remember it feeling very crowded on the balcony. NOT this time! There were maybe 20-25 people total on the balcony to watch the fireworks. Yes, it was chilly. We had brought a very large blanket that DD21 had got in India when she was studying abroad. It wrapped around all 3 of us girls.
A view of the castle!