Pacific Wharf at Disneyland California Adventure

Pacific Wharf is amazing. It’s one of the most interesting places in all of California Adventure. Essentially, this area is a food court; but you would never think it, as Imagineers immerse you in the theming here and sweep you away to the Pacific Ocean.

Make sure you check out the other California Adventure Restaurants in our Cars Land Dining Guide.

Our legend for Disneyland Pacific Wharf Dining:

Annual Passholder discounts available ask cashier

Mobile Ordering available on Disneyland mobile app check it out here

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop

Ghirardelli features 12 flavors of ice cream and 12 different toppings. They also have chocolate bar infused shakes, ice cream floats, and hot chocolate. Among the specialties are the Intense Dark Chocolate line up of sundaes featuring Ghirardelli chocolate squares and dark chocolate fudge.

Not to mention, you can pick out your own chocolate variety to take home, from their massive assortment of Chocolate squares. The sundaes on the menu are within range of $12-$16. A single scoop of ice cream starts at $5.95 with a choice of a cone or waffle bowl.

You can check out the current Ghirardelli’s menu here.

Pacific Wharf Café

Trademarked as the original San Francisco Sourdough, Boudin adds another authentic ingredient to the Pacific Wharf dining in California Adventure.

Here you can have salad or soup in a sourdough bread bowl, buy a freshly-baked loaf or round, or seasonal bread pudding. Salads run $11.49 and include Chinese Chicken Salad and Chicken Apple & Walnut Salad. Another specialty, is the Turkey Pesto Club, served on sourdough, for $9.99.

They also have a turkey sandwich for kids and a Yummy Cheesy Macaroni toddler meal. This counter-service restaurant also offers a small variety of desserts and beer choices.

You can check out the current Pacific Wharf Cafe’s menu here.

Rita’s Baja Blenders

This rehabbed water tower, once owned by a now-defunct fishing warehouse is the go-to place in California Adventure for excellent margaritas and so much more! Strawberry or Lemon-Lime Margaritas for $10 are the most popular items here. You can even add Grand Marnier for an extra $2.

They also serve sangria here and non-alcoholic frozen drinks like the Tripicool Strawberry, Lemon Lime and a feature flavor for $5.49. Rita’s also serves up a large bag of chips to munch on while you sip.

You can check out the current Rita’s Baja Blenders menu here.

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill

Across the Wharf from Ritas is the Mexican counter service restaurant. They feature a variety of hearty dishes and healthy salads to choose from. This is a great place where everyone can usually find something to eat.

Street Taco Plates (my favorite choice) and Fish Taco Plates are served with rice and beans to make a great meal! About $13 each. You can also get a Cocina Bowl for the same price with the same meat and vegetarian options as the tacos.

Kids also get a choice of a taco or bowl of their choice. They also have a quesadilla option on the menu and a Chicken with Rice option for toddlers.

Other entree options include Torta Ahogada Al Pastor, Marinated Half Chicken, and Chicken Salad.

For a side, you can order Chips and Salsa, Guacamole and Chips, and Fruit Salad. Beverage offerings include Mango Agua Fresca, and a selection of Mexican imported beers including a house-made Citrus Michelada made with Modelo Negra or Pacifico for $9.25.

Portions here are very large. It is a great value and an excellent place to split dinner to save room for the Ghirardelli’s sundaes!

You can check out the current Cocina Cucamonga’s menu here.

Lucky Fortune Cookery

The specialty at Lucky Fortune Cookery is made to order Asian Rice Bowls. The menu at Lucky Fortune Cookery is short but sweet. Among the bowls, you can choose from are Chicken, Tofu, and Beef with a price range of $12.49-$13.49.

For some inexpensive sides, you can order Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers, Edamame, or fresh sliced Mango. The Kids menu is Disney Check only, just like the other wharf options. This kids meal is chicken and brown rice served with applesauce, a mandarine, and choice of beverage.

In addition to the fountain beverages, Lucky Fortune Cookery offers a specialty black tea with passion fruit and mango topped with flavored foam; and Sapporo as an alcoholic option for $8.50.

Chad and I have eaten here a few times. Being the kid’s menu is limited we usually have to go somewhere else for Munchkin, which is a bit of a hassle (standing in line twice), so we tend to eat somewhere we all enjoy.

You can check out the current Lucky Fortune Cookery menu here.

Pacific Wharf Distribution Co.

Karl Strauss hand crafter beers from San Diego are on tap at the Pacific Wharf Distribution Co truck, along with fresh-baked soft pretzels. Beer $10, Pretzels $5-6.

You can check out the current Pacific Wharf Distribution Co’s menu here.

Wine Country Trattoria

This lovely Mediterranean-style winery is set back in a lovely Tuscan villa setting across from the Pacific Wharf food court and offers a beautiful indoor or patio dining experience. Wine Country Trattoria is a table service restaurant and one of only three places for which you can make reservations.

The restaurant serves three courses of Italian cuisine and even has antipasti and dessert offerings on the kid’s menu. A majority of the entrees is various kinds of pasta. However, rib-eye, salmon, braised lamb, and chicken Parmesan are among the other Italy inspired offerings.

The wine menu consists of Sangria, an Italian wine flight, and a Californian wine flight. They also list bottled beer and nonalcoholic beverages. The meal includes coffee or soft drinks of choice. A three-course meal consisting of the Soup Del Giorno, Spaghetti Aglio Olio, and Wine Country Tiramisu would cost $33 plus tax. And the price range goes up to $56 per person, not counting alcohol.

You can check out the current Wine Country Trattoria’s menu here.

Alfresco Tasting Terrace

On this rooftop ‘lounge’ created just for wine lovers, you can find a great selection of wines and cocktails with a small offering of appetizers and incredible views. They are only open from 12pm or 2pm (depending on the park hours). Get there early, the tables tend to fill up.

They have a variety of “Disney Family” wines which include Chardonnay from Kurt Russell’s Gogi Wines, Fess Parker (Davy Crockett) Syrah, MacMurray Estate Pinot Noir, and Lasseter Family Winery Rose. These wines sell for between $14 and $20 per glass and are sold by the bottle for $59-$89.

Cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages as well. Among the small bites and appetizers are flatbread, bruschetta, Chicken Caesar Piadina, Meatballs Marinara, and a Charcuterie and Cheeseburger Board. Priced $8-12

You can check out the current Alfresco Tasting Terrace’s menu here.

Mendocino Terrace

A lovely patio wine bar, Mendocino Terrace offers wine and port flights, wine by the glass and a cold cut or cheese plate, $12-13.

The lounge provides the usual array of nonalcoholic beverages and a handful of bottled beer and cider options, Mendocino Terrace is much more wine-focused, and they offer a lot.

Wine is sold by the glass giving you the opportunity to sample a few varietals. There are 11 white wines. Two of which are from California. Most are from other countries such as New Zealand, Germany, and France.

The price per glass ranges from $8.50 to $16.00. There are 9 options in the sparkling and Rose category. Most of which are from Italy with a price range of $8-$19. There are 19 red wines to choose from. The cheapest glass is $9.50, and the most expensive is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at $17.00.

You can check out the current Mendocino Terrace’s menu here.

Sonoma Terrace

The perfect shady spot to cool down and enjoy a selection of Golden Wine Winery’s California wines and craft brews. They also serve cocktails, beer, cider and have a small snack menu. Bavarian Pretzel for $6.99 ($7.98 with cheese), a Meatball Sandwich ($10.49)or Baked Brie with Blackberry Jam ($7.50).

You can check out the current Sonoma Terrace’s menu here.

Originally published July 2019.

Disclosures: Prices and menu items are subject to change. We recommend you check the current menu for each location for the most up to date information. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your price will remain the same, and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

The post Pacific Wharf – Disneyland California Adventure Restaurants appeared first on The Slow Roasted Italian.

If you are wondering where to eat in Cars Land California Adventure at Disneyland Resort we have got you covered!

Cars Land is probably my favorite of all the Disneyland Resort lands. Probably the first time anyone entered a theme park land and felt transported to a specific movie was in 2012. This was when Cars Land opened at California Adventure. Cars Land drops you in the middle of Radiator Springs and brings that movie world to life.

Through Cars Land dining shops and attractions Disney captivates guests by transporting them into the Cars world. In Cars Land, you are in Radiator Springs. It’s a real place, and you are there.

This is our legend for Disneyland Dining:

Annual Passholder discounts available ask cashier

Mobile Ordering available on Disneyland mobile app check it out here

Cars Land Dining and Food Options

The slight of hand with which they do this is pretty remarkable. The Cozy Cone Motel, for instance, is pretty impressive to look at, and it makes a nice photo location to meet Mater and Lightning McQueen.

Guests can’t sleep in the cones, right? So, they realized guest don’t need to sleep in the park, but they do need to eat. Suddenly, they had a themed dining location that perfectly utilizes the space.

Another area that was seamlessly recreated is Flo’s V8 Café. In the movie, this place is a gas station made to look like a diner.

When Radiator Springs welcomed park guests to their town, they couldn’t serve gasoline. They needed to accommodate them with real food. Thus Flo’s gas station is seamlessly converted into the diner it was always meant to look like.

Cars Land is best experienced in full, Radiator Springs Racers is half of the experience, but the other half is in the flavors of cars land. Come back for dinner and see what the town looks like when lit.

Fillmore’s Taste-In

The very first thing you see as you turn the corner into Cars Land is Fillmore’s Taste-In. The perfect name for a fruit cart themed to a hippie Volkswagen Bus.

At this cart you will find all the usual grab and go items including whole fruit and pickles for $3.99 each. For a cheap snack, you can pick up assorted chips at $3.49 per bag.

Additional snack options include a three pack of Cuties mandarin oranges for $4.49 and a six count of Mini Babybel Cheese. This is also a good place to pick up a bottled beverage from an assorted variety.

Filmore’s is a great place to grab a quick bite before going straight into Radiator Springs Racers, the three-attraction land’s E-ticket ride.

It’s also the perfect grab-and-go option if you just need some fuel while you pass Cars Land on your way to Pixar Pier to ride the Incredicoaster. If you are hungry for some more substantial food, though, you should stop and stay awhile, because there are two really great options inside Cars Land.

You can check out the current Fillmore’s Taste-In menu here.

Flo’s V8 Cafe

Flo’s is a gorgeous adaptation of the gas station in the movie Cars. My absolute favorite view is when it is dark out and the neon lights glow against the darkness of the sky just like it did on the movie screen.

When you get inside, the classic diner feel of the station takes over and transports you right into the movie.

Inside the decor tells the story of Flo’s past in a touring singing group. The huge windows offer a panoramic view of Ornament Valley, the sight of Radiator Springs Racers. It’s one of the best views in the park and the food is pretty good, too.

Flo’s is a quick service restaurant with indoor seating and outdoor seating out front. They serve up traditional diner style food from a Ka-Cheeseburger to a Fin-Tastic Tuna Sandwich.

The menu includes a pot pie, a Cobb salad, fried chicken and a club sandwich with prices ranging from $10.99 to $17.99. There are always seasonal favorites like this roast beef sandwich too.

Although, these are full meals with sides, you can also order steak fries separately and don’t forget the adult drinks. You can grab a variety of beer, wine and a fruity sangria at Flo’s. For dessert you can get a classic milkshake with or without a souvenir glass.

They also have a great kids menu with a cheesy Mack’s Mac and Cheese (which you know Munchkin eats every time we go). She is a mac and cheese connoisseur of course. They also have a Micro Burger and the Chicken Fenders priced from $7.49 to $7.99! 

Make sure you check Flo’s out for breakfast. The brioche French toast is so good it has a cult following. You can check out the current Flo’s V8 Cafe menu here.

Cozy Cone Motel

The cozy cone is a series of snack windows that ingeniously serves food in cones. There are tables at the Cozy Cone Motel, but these food options are awesome to grab and go.

I like to eat while walking around or waiting in line. All Cozy Cones serve beverages and many seasonal offerings pop up throughout the year like this Birthday Hat Macaron available during the Get Your Ears On celebration.

Cozy Cone #1 serves the most adorable cone full of 2-bite churros. The churro menu changes from season to season. This summer they are serving the traditional churros with dipping sauce and a graham cracker sugar churro with strawberry sauce and cream cheese icing. Churros are $5.29.

Cozy Cone #2 is the soft serve palace. You can get a vanilla, chocolate or twist. They also offer toppings for an additional charge. $4.49. During the holidays they offered peppermint toppings. Isn’t it perfectly festive?

Cozy Cone #3 is known for their bacon mac and cheese served in a bread cone. They also serve Chili Cone Queso and seasonal favorites. This summer they are serving Red’s Hot Chicken Cone. $8.99-$9.49. Cone 3 is also the go-to for adult cocktails, with vodka lemonade options to quench your thirst for $9.75.

Cozy Cone #4 offers up bite size pretzels with cheese sauce, my favorite item at this cone. They also have savory and sweet twists. $4.29-$5.79. Another menu item, Red’s Apple Freeze and Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade are thirst quenching drinks perfect for those hot summer days $5.49.

Cozy Cone #5 serves up an adorable Pop Cone filled with…. You guessed it, popcorn! But, it’s not just any popcorn. There are so many flavor options, it will make your tires spin $5.59. Recently Cone #5 also added Cozy Corn (Mexican street corn) to it’s menu $6.49.

Check out the current Cozy Cone Motel menu here.

Disclosures: Prices and menu items are subject to change. We
recommend you check the current menu for each location for the most up
to date information. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a
product through an affiliate link, your price will remain the same,
and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small
commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new
recipes.

The post Cars Land Dining at Disneyland California Adventure appeared first on The Slow Roasted Italian.

Disneyland Character Dining Experience

When we decided to treat our daughter to a character dining experience we really looked all over the Disneyland parks to decide which one we thought was best. There are so many to choose from and we will be reviewing them all with you.

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We really wanted to find a Mickey experience with as many characters as possible and Mickey’s Tales of Adventure at Grand Californian really fit the bill. As soon as we booked our hotel we scheduled breakfast at Storyteller’s Café.

The Grand Californian

Of all the hotels at the Disneyland Resort, the Grand Californian is absolutely our favorite. Not only does it offer the best access to the parks, but it is homey and luxurious all at the same time. I could honestly give you 100 reasons why we love the Grand Californian. And we have also stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel and off site hotels.

Storyteller Cafe

A perfect example of Disney’s blend of luxury and family focus is Storyteller Cafe.  This restaurant is a beautiful dining hall with craftsman style decor and Large framed art pieces showcasing Californian folklore.

The theme simultaneously pays homage to Disney’s tradition of storytelling, while telling the story of California, all as a mere backdrop in a buffet style restaurant.

This restaurant is where kids can also experience character dining at the Grand Californian.

Character Dining at Grand Californian

Storyteller Cafe offers Character dining, but it is not exclusively a character restaurant as is the case with Goofy’s Kitchen.  It is common for Disney restaurants, particularly buffets, to offer a character dining experience only at breakfast.  This is definitely the case at the Disneyland Resort, where all character dining experiences other than Goofy’s Kitchen are breakfast only.

Storyteller Cafe Character Breakfast

Morning at The Grand Californian is lovely, whether you enjoy a cup of coffee on a park side balcony or head downstairs for a big breakfast.

The main dining at Grand Californian all have entrances in the same outdoor location surrounding the pool.  This is great because it forces all guests to experience the outdoors and the nature that inspires the dining areas within.  Inside more of that Arts and Crafts era design shines through.

Phrases like “Hearth and Home,” and “By hammer and hand do all things stand” line the walls.  The buffet area stands centered behind the check-in counter and is flanked on both sides with deep dining halls lined with cozy booths and wooden tables.  Large lanterns hang from arched beams in the high ceiling.

For Grand Californian character dining, Mickey and his friends meet with guests at every table during the Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast (or Brunch) Buffet.

Mickey wears a special adventuring costume for this character meal, that is exclusive just to this event.  The theme is adventure, another tie in with California Adventure.

Though you can expect Mickey’s usual companions to show up, the lineup of characters is not guaranteed and subject to change.

It is recommended that you make reservations up to 60 days in advance. You don’t have to be a hotel guest to dine at Storytellers and you can even have 3 hours of complimentary parking with validation from the restaurant.  Otherwise, Parking is expensive, starting at $20 for just the first hour and $10 per hour thereafter! You can book here.

Storyteller Cafe Breakfast Menu

The breakfast buffet is a little bit overwhelming. There are so many delicious options to choose from.

There are plenty of breakfast meats and eggs.  The highlight is the custom omelette station. You get to choose your own fixin’s. I love cheese, bacon, onion and jalapenos but you can expect to be offered mushrooms, and other veggies and meats as well.

With an entire bar of breakfast potatoes, sausage and piles and piles of Applewood-smoked bacon if you are looking for a hearty breakfast this is it! These breakfast potatoes are amazing!

My absolute favorite is the Chilaquiles with Fresh Eggs and Tomatillo Salsa . It is divine. I didn’t get a photo this time but look for a copycat recipe coming up!

There is also a delightful array of sweet breakfast foods to choose from with everything from Mickey waffles, pancakes, french toast with an incredible specialty syrup (think bananas foster) and entire pastry bar, oatmeal, and cereal.  Bagels are also offered with lox.

The buffet also includes parfait, fresh fruit and a quiche of the day.  Beverages include specialty coffees and morning cocktails for an additional price.

Storyteller Cafe Brunch Menu

The Brunch menu is like the breakfast menu, only the extended offerings include French toast, pastries, muffins, pancakes and waffles.  Plus you can get dessert.  The downside of Brunch is that it is served from 11:30-2:00, which cuts into your day if you plan to visit one of the parks.  The Breakfast Buffet starts at 7:00AM and ends at 11:25AM.

Enjoy!

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

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Paradise Gardens is the Perennial festival center for seasonal events that take place in Disney’s California Adventure Park.  Located on the banks of the bay, adjacent to Pixar Pier, Paradise Gardens offers food and entertainment with seasonal changes.

With marketplaces, live entertainment, characters, cavalcade and event merchandise the Lunar New Year Celebration pulls out all the stops.

Disney’s California Adventure park is the place to be from January 25 – February 17 to celebrate the Lunar New Year.  Chinese tradition has long been a tentpole of the original Disney’s California Adventure philosophy.

It is one of the cultures that helped shape California from its early days until now.  The celebration of Chinese culture at California adventure continues with the annual Lunar New Year celebration.  This is the year of the pig.  So, you can expect to meet some very old Disney friends when you come to the celebration.

Lunar New Year Celebration Food

Several food marketplaces have opened up in the Paradise Gardens Area of Disney’s California Adventure park. As you make your way around Grizzly Peak, you will come to a San Francisco inspired area.  Paradise Gardens is just across the road from Pacific Wharf and Pixar Pier.  This is where most of the Lunar New Year festivities take place including some extraordinary dishes at these locations:

Lucky 8 Lantern

Note the pig inspired dish at Lucky 8 Lantern.  The Crispy Shrimp Fried Rice with garlic, bacon and edamame is definitely something to try.  If you would rather spare the pig, try the Stir Fried Vegetables and Pineapple with soy protein, steamed rice and crunchy chow mein noodles.  For desert this marketplace offers a Mandarin Orange Green Tea Tart.

Prosperity Bar and Buns

The Char Siu Pork Bao is Chinese BBQ pork folded into a bar bun with pickled onion and jalapeño.  For the less adventurous eater there is a much more instagram worthy treat called the Mickey Chinese Hotdog Bun, which is actually a sesame bun in the shape of Mickey’s head with little hot dog slices baked into it.  Prosperity Bao and Buns is also a great place to stay for a Mango-Pineapple Pastry and a $13 Winter Plum Blossom Gin Mule.

Longevity Noodle Co.

You won’t find any little piggies at this marketplace.  Just checked meatballs and a very nutty Vegetable Egg Roll dish that includes chilled sesame garlic noodles, cilantro cashew sauce, and roasted peanuts.  You can also order a Hong Kong style Egg Tart here with a refreshing Orchid Spritz.

Red Dragon Spice Traders

Serving up some heat, Red Dragon’s spicy dishes include Firecracker Three Cup Chicken and Steamed Short Rib Shumai with Spicy Korean Sauce, sriracha mayonnaise and cucumber salad.

Paradise Gardens Grill

At Paradise Gardens Grill the seasonal menu has been changed to reflect the Lunar New Year Celebration.  This is a full quick service restaurant with a Kids’ Meal (Uncrustables) and beverage options.  The small but satisfying list of entrees include a Whole Fried Fish, Korean Grilled Chicken, Vegan Orange Tempeh, and Banh Mi– a crispy baguette with grilled marinated pork belly.  This location also sells the collectible Mickey Birthday Sipper.

Entertainment

One of the great pieces of Paradise Gardens is the lineup of various acts that grace the shaded outdoor stage where guests can eat, drink and enjoy the live music.  Melody of China, a trio of instrumentalists from San Francisco, are taking the stage for the celebration.  Their synthesis of folk, classical, and contemporary instrumentals use the dulcimer, lute and fiddle to bridge generational gaps through unique musical fusion.

Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession is one of the highlights of this celebration and that coupled with the character meet and greet makes it well worth the stop! It is the only time of year you can see Mulan and Mushu.

Lunar New Year Celebration Meet and Greets

Mulan and Mushu are available for photo ops as usual.  Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto are also there, and wearing their festive Lunar New Year attire.  The bamboo and peach blossom pavilion makes for a gorgeous picture with golden flowers and Chinese banners adding to the backdrop for your photo.  The best way to stay on top of character schedules is to download the Disneyland Mobile app.

Munchkin absolutely loves their Lunar New Year outfits and stood in line to meet all the characters.

Procession

For more Character fun, make sure you stake out a good spot along the parade route for Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession.  This is a bright colorful and festive cavalcade of characters that includes guests of honor: Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Pig.  The three pigs Tea la la their way along the procession to triumphant music from the movie Mulan.  In addition to the pigs in holiday costumes, the procession includes a dragon puppet, drummers, dancers and more!  The procession has four start times throughout the afternoon at 12:00, 1:15, 3:00, and 4:15.

Lunar New Year Crafts

Paradise Gardens Park is the place to go for anything from relaxed entertainment to good seasonal food, but it’s also great for the kids.  Kids’ attractions such as Jumping’ Jellyfish and Ariel’s Undersea Adventure populate the area and near Paradise Gardens Grill, there is a fun little alcove where kids are invited to get crafty.  On Mondays and Tuesdays they can take home custom Chinese Calligraphy.  In addition to that They can also make paper lanterns and enjoy complimentary face painting near The Little Mermaid.

All guests at the celebration are also encouraged to contribute to the Wishing Wall.  The Wishing Wall is adorned with messages of good will, peace and prosperity for the new year and everyone can add their personal message to the display.

Merchandise

Of course no Disney event would be complete without fabulous commemorative merchandise.  This year shirts, pins and more are celebrating the Year of the Pig.  You can also purchase traditional lucky red envelopes for gifts of prosperity for the new year.

Festive Time

The festivities in this little corner of Disney’s California Adventure are worth a visit to the park. You can spend hours enjoying all of the food, and special moments of the event from the entertainment to the crafts.  In addition to Paradise Gardens, be sure to visit Pixar Pier, for more food and fun as well as Cars Land for a chance to venture into the exciting animated world of Radiator Springs.

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

The post Lunar New Year Celebration at the Disneyland Resort appeared first on The Slow Roasted Italian.

We have spent the last week in Houston and I can tell you we are getting so much better at traveling the more we do it. I have kind of become an expert at researching the best food, fun and places to stay.

Houston has been amazing. If you have been following us on Instagram you have seen the amazing food we have enjoyed. Some of the best burgers, barbecue and Mexican food I have ever eaten. I am so sad to see it coming to a close.

Did you know there is a Houston Texas restaurant that only serves mac and cheese? You know we hit that place up!

Visiting Houston Texas

We love your suggestions coming in for what we have to see and do. Keep them coming we are here for a few more days. We headed to Galveston yesterday and took a readers suggestion and hit up the coolest confectionery that I have ever seen! I can’t wait to share all of our trip with you.

After a fabulous trip to Disneyland and taking my favorite fall creamer along, I had the
thought that nothing could make my morning coffee more perfect than
enjoying it with International Delight® Caramel Macchiato in Houston Texas.

When I planned this trip I was looking for a hotel with a suite so I could get my daughter to sleep early and stay awake and unwind. Also, finding a hotel suite kitchenette was a huge bonus. Of course I need room for water, fresh fruit and my coffee creamer.

When we got into Houston we stopped and picked up our supplies and headed off to the hotel. Each morning I was able to grab a cup of coffee with my favorite creamer and really dive into my morning.

By now, you know how much we love their coffee creamers and have for some time. Actually, my newest creation is a caramel macchiato milkshake! Be sure to check that recipe out, because it is SO scrumptious!!

Taking a few minutes to enjoy my favorite coffee with a taste of home helps me
create delight. Life is so busy, vacations included. Don’t forget about you.  How do you create delight?

Enjoy!

With love from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Check out some of our favorite recipes using International Delight

2-Ingredient Chocolate Ganache
It really doesn’t get easier than this. This recipe is ready in 3 minutes and it is one you will be pulling out again and again. It is perfect for fondue, ice cream topping, dipping cupcakes, frosting cakes and even making truffles.  You are going to love it.

Rich Chocolate Fudge Frosting comes together in just 10 minutes with only 4 ingredients. It is quite possibly the easiest and tastiest chocolate frosting I have ever made. One bowl and 10 minutes from here to fluffy goodness.

Gingerbread French Toast Casserole comes together in just 20 minutes. It is the perfect make-ahead breakfast to create an extra special morning anytime. Prepare the night before and toss it in the oven while you get ready for the day.

This casserole is fully customizable, use gingerbread creamer to create the perfect fall breakfast. And it is topped with the perfect spiced streusel crunch. It is destined to be on your menu again and again!

Can’t get enough International Delight? Check them out on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. And sign up to get their newsletter for access to an instant coupon, giveaways and more!

Recipes developed by Donna Elick – The Slow Roasted Italian

Copyright ©2015 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

This conversation is sponsored by International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

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It must come as no surprise that we found the best burger in N’awlins, as well as our favorite cocktail.  We are so thrilled to have been invited to New Orleans for a family vacation, and so happy to share it with you.

New Orleans Food

We feasted like kings while we were in New Orleans. Hungry kings!  Because y’all have crowned me the ‘Queen of Burgers’, we took it upon ourselves to eat as many gourmet burgers as we could find. Only so we could report back to you with our favorite New Orleans burger, of course.  We also sampled a few cocktails so we could bring you our favorite picks. 

I know, it’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. At the end of the day, when the park, zoo and other fabulous family attractions start to shut down, we would go back to the hotel and freshen up and go to dinner. 

One evening, we decided to take a stroll up Royal Street to check out Port of Call.  We had heard that they had the best burgers, and we were determined to find out.

Port of Call Restaurant

We stepped into the smallest restaurant that I have ever been in.  At most, there are 12 tables on the restaurant side, and a lovely dark wood bar that makes up the other half of this New Orleans hidden gem.

The burgers come with a baked potato on the side. Legend says that they were unable to get a license for a deep fryer, so rather than let that deter them, they decided to serve baked potatoes.  After sitting down to a half-pound burger and fully loaded baked potato at Port of Call, I can stay this much. Not only do they
have the best burgers, but insanely delicious baked potatoes too. We can’t wait to go back. Do you think they might deliver to Arizona? 

Entertainment in New Orleans

New Orleans is home to the most amazing music and the most fascinating people.  They are sprawled out over the French Quarter during the day as I shared with you in our last 2 articles about our trip. 

But at night, you will find live music up and down Bourbon Street, and most of the clubs feature live music almost every night too.  

We enjoyed a fantastic brass band, some break dances, the Transformer dude, Homer Simpson, and so many more characters.  You really need to experience it yourself to fully appreciate it.  

Cocktails in New Orleans

So almost every night after dinner we would head over to Bourbon Street to
catch some entertainment and sample some local favorite cocktails.  Our first cocktail on our list was the
classic favorite; a Hurricane from Pat O’Brien’s.  The next night, we discovered Mango Mango, serving frozen daiquiris; a Bourbon Street favorite. We sampled a few flavors over the duration of our trip and our favorite was a combination of mango and vampire’s blood.

Tropical Isle is another favorite destination on Bourbon Street. Their most famous drink is the frozen hand grenade; a melon based cocktail served in a grenade shaped specialty cup. It is a truly scrumptious cocktail.

We also stepped off Bourbon Street to visit the fabulous Sazerac Bar in the grand
Roosevelt Hotel.  We sampled the worlds first mixed drink; the famous New Orleans Sazerac cocktail.  What an experience that is!! I would call this classic whiskey cocktail a sippin’ drink. So kick back in the Sazerac and enjoy.

Honestly we were divided on the favorite choice.  I loved the Frozen Hand Grenade from Tropical Isle, and Chad was more partial to the Frozen Daiquiri from Mango Mango.  But, we couldn’t leave out Munchkin. Being mommy and daddy were enjoying frozen treats, we stopped into PJ’s Coffee, which some
locals say has the best coffee in town. We were in search of their frozen strawberry lemonade.  We picked one of those up each night for Munchkin, and she loved it. It was also a great way to cool her down.

We were so inspired by all of the frozen cocktails in New Orleans that we
decided to share our favorite frozen daiquiri recipe with you.  Made with 2 kinds of rum for fabulous tropical flavor, our Summer Strawberry Daiquiri is packed with fresh strawberries, triple sec and lime juice to create our favorite frozen daiquiri ever. You are going to love it!! Make a pitcher for your next party – it will be the star of the party! 

New Orleans Tours

Being the rum lovers that we are, we knew we wanted to visit Old New Orleans Rum.  It is outside of the French Quarter in an inconspicuous old cotton warehouse.  They offer a spectacular tour and sampling of their delicious rums. 

Old New Orleans Rum

For an incredibly reasonable price, you can get the inside scoop on the rum distillation, and a 45-minute tour.   We sampled all 4 of their rums, as well as
their gingeroo.  I would have to say my favorite is Cajun Spice.  Quite a spectacular flavor, with cayenne, cinnamon and hints of nutmeg, ginger and
clove.  I entirely regret not purchasing some to take home, but luckily they have an online store.

The Steamboat Natchez

Stepping outside cocktail time, we have one more spectacular tour to tell you about.  The Steamboat Natchez riverboat tour is fantastic.  Step aboard after being serenaded by a calliope concert!!

A few minutes later, you’ll be on the last authentic steamboat on the Mississippi River. The tour takes you down the Mississippi on a narrated tour, filled with history and fun facts about the area.  It is a great perspective that you just can’t
get on land. 

They offer a fabulous Creole lunch that is optional, but as we are both picky and frugal, we stopped inside the shops at Jax Brewery. Chad and Munchkin chose pizza, and I bought a muffaletta sandwich.  We ate onboard the boat, and everyone was happy.  Kids 6 and under ride free, so that made this an extremely economical tour for us to enjoy, and I highly recommend it.  Next time though, I am getting the lunch. We sat inside to escape the heat for a few minutes, and the food smelled sensational.

We are thrilled to share our family vacation in New Orleans with you!  Make sure you check back tomorrow to read about the rest of this fantastic adventure in New Orleans.

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Disclosure:  We are working in partnership with the New Orleans Board
of Tourism, and we have been compensated with a family vacation to New Orleans. 

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

The post Food, Cocktails and Tours in New Orleans appeared first on The Slow Roasted Italian.

Being invited to New Orleans for a family vacation could very well be the highlight of our summer travels.  After thoroughly researching the Nola tourism site we knew we wanted at least a week to see everything on our list.

We started our journey on an evening Southwest flight with no stops.  We checked our stroller at the gate, which helped contain our daughter until we got on the flight.  We packed several activities, healthy snacks and travel surprises to keep our energetic 3 year old busy.  She did very well.  Southwest was a joy as always.

TRAVELER TIP:  I highly recommend night time flights for parents traveling with young children.  A sleepy child is more likely to fall asleep on a dark plane at night and that makes for an awesome flight for the parents.

We arrived late and checked into the luxurious JW Marriott New Orleans and called it a night.  The JW is absolutely lovely.  Classic decor with old world charm.  Our rooms were spectacular! The rooms are incredibly spacious..  Being we were staying a week this was really important.  Not a detail is missed at this hotel.  From the highly attentive and friendly staff  to the nighttime turn down service and everything in between.  We truly felt like royalty during our trip.  Their concierge service never missed a beat, suggestions on where to find the best barbecue shrimp, suggestions for rainy day kids activities and even where we could find a last minute piece of luggage (because we bought so much).  Munchkin still talks about the hotel.

After a fabulous night of sleep in our gorgeous hotel we headed out to start our day.  We strolled up Decatur Street and took in the sights.  Outstanding architecture surrounds you as you walk the streets of New Orleans. Before we knew it, we could see the Mississippi River and we were at Jackson Square, staring at The St Louis Cathedral.  It is quite a sight.

We decided to start the day off with at the original French Market coffee stand; Café Du Monde. What to order but, frozen café au lait and perfectly fried beignets that are sinfully coated in powdered sugar? 

That is exactly what we started with. Pure heaven and a spectacular start to the day! New Orleans is known for its chicory and Café Du Monde makes an  incredible blend of French coffee and chicory.  We loved it so much, we visited several times during our trip and bought some to take home.

We sat inside the cafe the first day and then decided the outdoor covered patio was perfect for people watching.  Once we were home I began working on a recipe for my own Frozen Café Au Lait and we are so thrilled with what I came up with.  The recipe below is spectacularly reminiscent of the fabulously refreshing frozen drinks we enjoyed in New Orleans and I highly recommend you try it!

Back to Jackson Square to take in the city.  The streets were filled with the upbeat music of a brass band that totally drew us in.   We stopped in the square and popped a squat on the steps to take a moment and enjoy it.  What a fascinating city.

We stepped into the St. Louis Cathedral and it is certainly a sight to behold.  You really need to walk inside and enjoy the grandeur of this holy landmark.  It is the oldest operating cathedral in the United States.  The entire building is a work of art.  Breathtaking paintings, statutes and architecture is absolutely stunning.  It is something you have to experience.

Just about time for our tour, we walked over to Johnny Po’Boys and grabbed a scrumptious hot roast beef and cheese po’boy to take with us.  It was so big we decided one po’boy and a bag of chips would feed us.  There were so many choices, I would love to try more next time we are in NOLA.

Next we boarded a 50 passenger motor coach for our Super City Tour with Gray Lines. 

TRAVELER TIP:  If have to tell you that is always my favorite (i.e., most important) part of every trip.  Touring the city you are visiting gives you a great perspective, inside tips from a local and a lot of history.  After you have taken the tour you can adjust your itinerary to go back and see things that are intriguing and cross some off your list.

Gray Lines Super City tour was absolutely fabulous.  It takes you through New Orleans on a narrated tour of this history rich city with several photo stops.  We even had a chance to get out at one of the cemeteries and look around.  The history lesson is amazing and engaging enough to keep my 3 year entertained for most of the trip. 

Did I mention there is a bathroom on board?  Our tour guide was Sylvester.  I recommend you try and catch one of his tours.  From Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River and everything in between we marveled at the sights and stories that our driver shared.  Did you know that back in the day they could tell if you were Creole by the color of your house?  Do you know what Creole means?

After our tour we headed up Bourbon Street (which we will tell you all about on Thursday, so make sure you check back) to Bayou Burger.  We order 3 ginormous burgers.  My favorite part was this little dish of crab traps that we got as a free appetizer for checking in on Foursquare. Crab with cheese and jalapenos…  Deep fried.  Hello!

Back to our hotel room to collapse into our bed after a very fun filled day, we discovered a post card on the pillow and our beds turned down.  What a welcome ‘home’.

Wednesday I will share more of our fantastic vacation with you including our trip to the magnificent city park and more!  Make sure you check back.

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Print

Frozen Café Au Lait Copycat

Frozen Cafe au Lait is a cool and refreshing drink, made popular at Café Du Monde. Use this frozen drink recipe to make one at home!

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Method Blender

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 158cal

Author Donna Elick

Equipment

• blender

Ingredients

• 2 cups strong brewed Cafe Du Monde chicory coffee or your favorite, frozen into ice cubes
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar or your favorite sweetener

Instructions

• Combine ingredients in a blender and chop until icy, then blend on high until you have your perfect consistency. I like mine pretty smooth, so I blend for a while.

  If needed, turn the blender off to scrape down the sides a few times and then turn the blender back on. If you have a high powered blender, you may have to use your tamper to push the mixture around a little.
• Pour into 2 glasses, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 158cal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 74mg | Sugar: 21g | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclosure:  We are working in partnership with the New Orleans Board
of Tourism and we have been compensated with a family vacation to New
Orleans. 

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

The post Café Du Monde and Frozen Café Au Lait Copycat appeared first on The Slow Roasted Italian.

I have to tell you when we were contacted by The New Orleans Board of Tourism and asked to take a family vacation in New Orleans I was over the moon excited!  I have wanted to go to New Orleans since I read the book Ruby by VC Andrews.  The Landry series takes place in the bayou and spills into the streets of the French Quarter.  Ever since I read that series I have really wanted to visit.  Keep reading for our full family itinerary to New Orleans…

Disclosure:  We are working in partnership with the New Orleans Board of Tourism and we have been compensated with a family vacation to New Orleans.Honestly, N’awlins (as the locals call it) never jumped out at me as a family destination, but after checking out the Follow Your Nola site I was pleasantly surprised by how many family activities there really are.  I also received great suggestions from an article on New Orleans Moms Blog and then we got to planning.  The first things I figured out is that we definitely needed a full week and these are essential packages to purchase:

City Park Family Fun Pass – includes entrance once to Storyland, New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Putt (play one course), unlimited rides at Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and a discount at Morning Call.

Audubon Experience Package – includes admission to Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Entergy IMAX® Theatre and Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.

Jazzy Passes for the Streetcars and Buses are also a must!

Also a great hotel is absolutely essential and we will be staying at the fabulous JW Marriott in New Orleans. I am sooo excited.

We have so many things on our itinerary that we want to check out.  With
us, an itinerary is more of a suggestion.  We will see how it all plays
out.  All I know is we are going to have a fabulous time and you get to
come along for the ride.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get real time updates during our vacation in N’awlins follow hashtag  #FollowYourNOLA.

Did we miss anything?  What sounds good to you?  Tweet your NOLA vacation suggestions to @Slow_Roasted #MyNola to be entered to win a fabulous prize pack!

Day 1

First things first.  Breakfast beignets and “rocket fuel” as a friend calls it, are the perfect way to start off your day.  Stop in at Cafe Du Monde in the French Market grab your goodies to go and head over to Woldenberg Park to enjoy the morning.  I can’t think of a better way to start a vacation than to take a tour of the city.  Gray Lines Super City Tour takes you all over the French Quarter, through a historic cemetery and shares stories of voodoo and piracy on the Bayou on a 2 hour narrated motor coach tour.  Spend the rest of the day exploring your favorite spots from the tour.  Make sure you stop at Johnny Po’Boy’s for lunch and no trip to N’awlins would be complete without stopping in to Pat O’Briens to drink a Hurricane.

Day 2

Late breakfast at the well known Camellia Grill and then walk over to the highly recommended Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.  The backstage penguin pass is said to be spectacular!!  After a few hours of aquarium time head out to meet your tour guide for your culinary tour of NOLA.  TasteBud Tours has fantastic reviews and we are so excited to be tasting the city with them.  A 3 hour walking tour will take you through the streets of the New Orleans stopping at some of the best food spots in the city.  Top off a fabulous day with a spectacular view of the city while aboard the Steamboat Natchez with a Creole dinner and the sounds of the Dukes of Dixieland.

Day 3

Catch a ride on the Canal St Streetcar line to City Park.  Once at City Park you can get breakfast at Morning Call (bring cash) then head off to check out the Botanical Gardens and Besthoff Sculpture Gardens.  Walk through the gorgeous park to Big Lake where you can rent pedal boats, bikes and ever enjoy a gondola ride.  You’re not done yet!  Don’t forget to check out Carousel Gardens which features 15 rides for kids of all ages, Storyland where fairytales come to life and City Putt a 36 hole mini golf complex (which just opened).  After a fun filled day you can stop off at the famous Angelo Brocato’s Italian Ice Cream Parlor for some gelato. Is it Thursday in the Spring or Fall?  Ride the Canal Street Streetcar to Rampart and relax in Louis Armstrong Park to the soothing sounds of jazz and enjoy dinner.

Day 4

Start your day off with an energizing breakfast from Ruby Slipper Cafe; which was named one of New Orleans best breakfast spots.  They serve a full breakfast menu, have fabulous prices and have a fantastic kids menu.  Triple point score!  After breakfast head out to the Audubon Zoo.  You can catch the St Charles Streetcar right to Audubon Park and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the spectacular oak trees to the zoo.  The Audubon Zoo is one of the top 5 zoos in the US!  58 stunning acres of animals.  There is so much information on this fantastic zoo I will just let you read about it here and here.  Make sure you don’t miss Cool Zoo (a splash park right in the zoo) and Audubon’s Dinosaur Adventure!

Day 5

Your last day in The Big Easy should start with breakfast beignets and “rocket fuel”.  Stop in at Cafe Du Monde in the French Market.  Take a stroll through the market and check out the shops and stores.  Make sure to pickup some pralines at the confection shops!  Then walk over to Jackson Square to see the St. Louis Cathedral and take a carriage ride through the park.  After a fantastic morning enjoying the sights head over to the Entergy IMAX and catch a spectacular show.  Don’t forget the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium.  Dinner the last night has to be fabulous, so GW Fins it is!  With seafood so fresh they have to print their menus daily, this is the perfect place to eat.

We are going to have a fabulous time and you get to
come along for the ride.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get real time updates during our vacation in N’awlins follow hashtag  #FollowYourNOLA.

Did we miss anything?  What sounds good to you?  Tweet your NOLA vacation suggestions to @Slow_Roasted #MyNola to be entered to win a fabulous prize pack!

The post Family Vacation in New Orleans – Itinerary appeared first on The Slow Roasted Italian.