SoCal – Off Beach Getaway

Disney for Adults at DCA

If you don’t think of Disneyland in California as an adult hangout you haven’t been there lately. It’s new name is Disneyland Resort. The name changed after the opening of Downtown Disney and Disney’s California Adventure locally referred to as DCA. Downtown Disney is a shopping and Dining center that features restaurants like ESPN Zone, House of Blues and Brennans’ Jazz Kitchen. Brennan’s has genuine New Orleans Beignets. If you can’t make it to Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, this is a pretty good wake up spot in Southern California.

Early mornings in Downtown Disney can be very quiet. If you fly in from the East Coast like we did on this trip, getting up at 5 am looking for breakfast was a fruitless effort. About 6am a couple of places open up but coffee, tea, and danishes are it until 7. That was a little odd, but we also noted we were the only two people without a pressure washer or a clipboard.

Once we got past the morning delay, we ended up eating breakfast at the little cafe all the way behind the pool at the Grand Californian Hotel. The $8 breakfast sandwich was a little pricey, and we split it since it was HUGE. This breakfast sandwich had a fresh cooked egg, really good bacon, and fresh bread. No microwaving here. We sat outside on the picnic style benches and enjoyed the company of a very patient and quiet calico cat. The hostess told us the cat was there as a mouse catcher.

On the way to DCA I got sidetracked at Latitude 33 and bought some island style resort clothes and a couple signs for my pool. My wife got trapped at another store shopping for Christmas goodies. After a quick trip back to the room we set back on our way. Now I need to admit for two adults that grew up in Southern California, we probably visit Disneyland and Disneyworld in Florida more than anyone we know.

The Chili Stand at DCA
The place for Chili in a fresh sourdough bowl.

At DCA we hit our favorites right away, Soaring Over California, Maliboomer, and Monsters Inc. The lines were pretty long so we ended up just walking the park and soaking up the sun. By noon we had hit the back and stopped in to the San Francisco Bread Company to sample some fresh from the oven sourdough bread. Next it was over to the tortilla factory for a quick tortilla sample.

So here we are at noon, lazy and thirsty on the big Monterey Cannery Row style patio.  My wife wandered over and grabbed a margarita while I wandered to the beer truck.  Now this is Disney living.  Standing at the beer truck, it was after 3 on my body clock but clearly the rest of the guests didn’t feel the same, there was no line.  Realizing I was looking at a selection of microbrews, I wasn’t sure what to get.  Not being a real beer nut, I generally stick to Bud Light and call it a day.  The guy behind the counter suggested I try the Oktoberfest, so I did.

Karl Strauss is a micro brew out of San Diego California. For the most part I find micro brews to be bland 3 day old ales. Oktoberfest changed my idea quickly. A deep colored very wall balanced lager with just a hint of Fall spiciness, this was a really good beer. I felt a little guilty drinking such a nice beer out of a plastic cup at DCA, but hey, no glass allowed, park safety you know. A sourdough bowl of chili was added and I had a great lunch in the California sun.

Beer Truck at Disney's California Adventure
Karl Strauss Beer, cold on the sunny deck at Disney's California Adventure

Karl Strauss Oktoberfest

https://www.karlstrauss.com/

Brennans Jazz Kitchen

Cuisine: Cajun-Creole

Service Type: Fine Dining

Price Range: $$$ ($20-$30 per person) *

Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *