California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort seems to be the reservation to nab at Disney World, besides maybe Be Our Guest, that seems like its been booking reservations since the Ice Age...But unlike Be Our Guest, last-minute reservations are not impossible at California Grill, but not that likely either. I was able to make a reservation there for my birthday, with a little bit of effort. I was checking the reservation tool on the website pretty diligently, looking to snag a cancellation, which I managed to do. The Contemporary is the only Monorail resort that actually has the monorail go right through the resort itself, which in it's day was a pretty marvelous engineering feat. I do enjoy the hip, modern vibe, of the 60's/70's that the Contemporary architecture gives off, though I think some people feel it is dated. I love anything retro, so it works for me, though they seem to be continually updating it for what "contemporary" means at the time. I would like to see it go back to some sort of 70's what-was-futuristic-then lounge feel, and really just embrace the architecture of the building, which is not so easily changed.
Though I have eaten at the California Grill previously, I thought it would be festive to celebrate there, especially with the Wishes Fireworks going off, and my husband and daughter had never been there. California Grill is on it's own floor high atop the Contemporary Resort, overlooking The Magic Kingdom. You even have to take a special, private elevator to reach the restaurant, after you check in with your reservation on the second floor. It is an expansive restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows, with views of Bay Lake, the Grand Floridian, or Cinderella's Castle.
They boast an open kitchen and an incredibly expansive wine list with a focus on Californian wines, of course. But they do have some really interesting selections, I would definitely recommend trying a wine or three... If you have a bigger party, go for the bottles; there are some rare gems to be found. I tried a Californian zinfandel, that was quite rich and full of deep berry flavor, with just a hint of pepper on the back end. We also got the BLT flatbread and the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli to start.
The BLT flatbread consisted of heirloom tomatoes on a crisp pizza crust, with crispy bacon lardons, shredded romaine lettuce, and a drizzle of a lemon aioli across the top. It was really delicious, especially the meaty bites of bacon, sinking into the fleshy tomatoes. We actually ate here a couple nights, as I was able to grab another reservation, and the second night we had the flatbread, the lemon aioli was just a bit too zippy, with lemon juice, but a rather minor complaint.
We got the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli, a perennial menu mainstay, in some form or another, which this time was basically just one big raviolo, floating in a tomato broth, stuffed with aged goat cheese and mushrooms, so it was almost like more of a soup. I preferred earlier incarnations of this menu item when it was more like a pasta dish, so my husband ate most of that, while I devoured the flatbread.
For my entree I chose the vegetarian pasta dish, which was Trofie pasta, with a rich goat cheese sauce, and roasted butternut squash, wild mushrooms, figs, and a pumpkin-seed brittle garnish. It was so creamy and tangy from the goat cheese, that I found myself craving it again a few nights later, so that's when I secured another reservations to go back and have it again. Yet, I failed to get a picture of this delectable dish either time, and the internet seems to have no trace of it either.
My husband chose the Filet Mignon with tomato risotto, which was cooked perfectly, and had that nice hint of char-flavor. But it was the tomato risotto we found ourselves stabbing forks over. Let's face it, risotto in general is fantastic, but this tomato risotto could not have been creamier, more bursting with tomato goodness, or any more comforting.
The second night we ate there, we just ordered a side of risotto and he got the Pork Two Ways, instead. The two preparations of pork were a roasted tenderloin with polenta and red-wine reduction, and a braised pork belly that melted in your mouth. And you can see my side of tomato risotto in the corner!
For dessert, we tried something different on each of the respective nights. We had the Warm Banana Stuffed Fritters with a trio of dipping sauces, vanilla creme anglais, peanut butter, and chocolate, and the Chocolate Pudding Cake with Nutella filling on the first night, and then a trio of mini citrus-inspired desserts like an orange creamsicle float, and a lemon meringue cupcake cone, and a Butterscotch Creme Brulee that had me licking the plate. It was by far our favorite dessert of the four we tried. (It is that little square scalloped plate, topped with berries, in the wee corner of the bottom photo.)
We also got to view the Wishes Fireworks right from the comfort of our own table, as they gave us a table with prime vistas of the Magic Kingdom. My daughter really liked the fireworks; they dimmed the lights, and piped in the soundtrack, so it really creates the whole experience. Plus it's warm and toasty inside, and much more comfortable to enjoy the fireworks sitting down, instead of huddle in a crowd.
And it was something that kept her occupied, at least for a few minutes, anyway. The California Grill, though pricey, is a culinary experience with a very distinctive Disney element, that when all the right notes are hit, can be quite magical.
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