out and about: disney's grand california hearthstone lodge
On our recent trip to disneyland, we were thrilled to find that the hearthstone lounge has made it’s way on to the reservation list.
If you aren’t familiar, hearthstone lounge is located in the lobby of the grand californian hotel. It’s long been our favorite spot for dinner, after dinner drinks, christmas tree spotting, late night pizza, etc. etc. But, until now, you had to put your name on a list, and hope that they had room within the hour.
When we first started going, there was never a line, you could always walk right in… but as more and more people found out how great it was, that walk in line just kept getting longer and longer. Which leads back to how excited we were to find out that you can now make a reservation ahead of time. They still take walk ins too, so you do you.
peach meadows: peach juice, peach fresca® and sage Ssyrup, garnished with a lemon wedge
schramsberg, blanc de blancs: sparkling napa-sonoma, ca
Apparently we were being fancy, because we got an orange wedge, not a lemon. Which really had nothing to do with all the peachiness that was this mocktail. And this one is always a favorite.
The champs is a long time favorite, so it was nice to have a familiar option on the menu… although I’m just waiting for iron horse’s fairy tale to make a comeback, because those were the disney drinking days.
cheese & charcuterie: shareable artisanal local farmstead cheeses, specialty deli meats, accompaniments
Avy’s recently been into charcuterie. Like a lot. I’ve always made them when entertaining, but now I feel like we have them as a pre-dinner appetizer on the daily. So it was no surprise that we were ordering one.
Be forewarned. This sucker is big. It doesn’t look like it, but there were layers to this baby. And I’m not complaining… but had we known, we could have easily split it and maybe just a salad or some fries and been full. But we didn’t know, and ordered mains… and were headed back to the parks and then driving home, so nowhere to store all the leftovers.
Everything about it was perfect… and we’d totally order it again. Especially if we’ve got the whole family on board. Or again, just for us.
Lots of yummy cheese - humboldt fog too! Prosciutto of different varieties, beef and pork products, grainy mustard, fresh honey, fresh and dried fruits, and avy’s favorite cornichons.
truffle mac & cheese: fresh elbow macaroni, black truffle, cheddar cheese sauce
This is the dish that turned avy into a truffle mac and cheese lover. She’s always been a fan of mac and cheese. Always loved truffle fries… so she decided to try it. And she loved it.
The truffle was just enough flavor without being too overpowering.
Again, it was just such a big portion, after such a large app. She did make note that the next time we are staying she’s bringing it back to the hotel room for late night snacking.
hearthstone burger: american wagyu patty, sonoma sharp white cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomato, bacon-shallot jam, herb focaccia bun, french fries
I, on the other hand was in the mood for a burger. Especially one that comes with bacon jam, because… hello. And can we just say that you will be seeing a bacon onion jam coming to the blog in the foreseeable future.
If you want a really, really great burger, especially after a long day in the parks, this is your spot. No ifs ands or buts.
And, since we are already less than 60 days out from our next trip? I’m making a reservation.