Food & Wine Festival Weekend Guide for March 1-7, 2019

Food & Wine Festival Weekend Guide for March 1–7, 2019

The 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival begins today. The fourth edition of the Festival runs for eight weeks, March 1 through April 23, 2019, bringing 14 Festival Marketplace locations to the park. Counting the special menu items offered at the Paradise Garden Grill during this event, there are more than 40 dishes for festival-goers to sample, plus dozens of wines, beers, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.

To help you plan your visits and navigate the event, we've created this guide with menus, prices, and schedules, with each issue focused on the upcoming weekend. Bookmark this page for quick reference during your visit for the first week of the Festival, and check back next Friday for another issue of the weekend guide—bon appétit!

Marketplace Essentials

Festival Marketplace Menus

Special dishes created for the Food & Wine Festival, and available at the 14 standalone Marketplace booths located throughout Disney California Adventure park, as well as at the Beer Garden at the Paradise Garden Grill.

V – indicates a vegetarian (non-meat) dish.
VG – indicates a vegan (no animal products, such as honey, dairy, egg) dish.
GF – indicates a gluten-free dish.
§ – most non-alcoholic items at Marketplaces marked with a § (double-S) symbol below are included in the Sip and Savor Pass (described below).

Nuts About Cheese (§)

Food

Fiscalini White Cheddar Lager Soup served in a Mini Boudin Sourdough Bread Bowl (V) ($6.75)
Ham and Vella Jack Cheese Pinwheel with Smoked Pistachios ($7.00)
Creamy Oikos Yogurt Cheesecake (V) ($5.25)

Beverages

Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Columbia Street, Amber Lager, San Diego ($10.25)

LAstyle (§)

Food

Asian-style Beef Barbacoa Taco with Pickled Ginger ($8.00)
BLT Chicharrón Duro with Ranch Crema ($7.00)

Beverages

Tiki Cocktail: Aged Rum, Falernum, Bitters, Lime, and Grapefruit Juices ($13.50)

Golden Dreams (§) [New for 2019]

Food

Deconstructed Teriyaki Chicken Musubi with Pineapple Relish ($7.25)
Anaheim Chile Relleno Bites with Salsa Verde (V) ($6.75)
Chocolate-Peanut-Caramel Parfait (GF) ($5.50)

Beverages

Yippee! Mickey’s Cotton Candy Soda (non-alcoholic) – Sprite, cotton candy premium syrup, ralf-rimmed butter cream with pineapple cotton candy garnish ($7.00)

California Craft Brews (§)

Food

Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls with Marinara and Pesto Sauce ($7.00)

Beverages

Bright and Balanced Beer Flight ($15.00)
- Pizza Port California Honey Golden Ale
- Hangar 24 Orange Wheat
- Left Coast Pink Bikini Raspberry Wheat
- Karl Strauss Columbia Street Amber Lager
Hoppy and Bold Beer Flight ($15.00)
- Smog City Sabre-Toothed Squirrel Amber Ale
- Lost Winds Tropiclemente Tropical Ale IPA
- Towne Park Blacksmith Black IPA
- Asylum Rorschach Brown Ale
By the Glass – Bright and Balanced
- Pizza Port Brewing Company, California Honey, Golden Ale, Solana Beach ($10.75)
- Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, Orange Wheat, American Wheat Ale, Redlands ($10.75)
- Left Coast Brewing Co., Pink Bikini, Raspberry Wheat, San Clemente ($10.75)
- Three Weavers Brewing Company, Day Job, Pale Ale, Inglewood ($11.75)
- Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Columbia Street, Amber Lager, San Diego ($10.75)
By the Glass – Hoppy and Bold
- Smog City Brewing Co., Sabre-Toothed Squirrel, Hoppy Amber Ale, Torrance ($10.75)
- Stereo Brewing Company, Perfect Day, American IPA, Placentia ($10.75)
- Lost Winds Brewing Company, Tropiclemente, Tropical IPA, San Clemente ($10.75)
- Towne Park Brew Co., Blacksmith, Black IPA, Anaheim ($10.75)
- Asylum Brewing, Rorschach, Brown Ale with Kenyan Coffee, Anaheim ($13.00)

Peppers Cali-Ente (§)

Food

Verlasso Sustainable Salmon Peruvian Poke with Cucumber-Lime Salad and Aji Verde Salsa (GF) ($7.50)
Ghost Pepper Mac and Cheese with Chili Cheese Corn Chip Dust (V) ($7.75)

Beverages

Jalapeño-Lime Margarita ($13.00)

Uncork California

Food

California Artisan Cheese Selection – select from either Point Reyes Blue or Fiscalini White Cheddar dand-crafted California cheese (V) ($8.50)

Beverages

White Wine Flight ($17.00)
- Twomey Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa-Sonoma County
- Simi, Chardonnay, “Reserve,” Russian River Valley, California
- Patz & Hall, Chardonnay, “Dutton Ranch,” Russian River Valley, California
Red Wine Flight ($17.50)
- Erath, Pinot Noir, Oregon
- Klinker Brick Winery, Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi
- Rowen, Blend, Sonoma County, California
Mimosa Flight ($17.00)
- Hibiscus Mimosa
- Tropical Mimosa
- Mixed Berry Mimosa
Chandon Brut, Sparkling Wine, California ($12.00)
Assorted Wine Varietals

Berry Patch (§)

Food

Strawberry and Coconut Rice “Frushi” with Sweet Oikos Yogurt Wasabi Sauce (GF, V) ($5.50)
Fresh California Berry Pie (V) ($5.75)

Beverages

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk ($2.50)
Strawberry Float with Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, and Crunchy Cereal Garnish (non-alcoholic) ($6.50)

Avocado Time (§)

Food

Petit Impossible Burger with Guac and Pepper Jack Cheese (V) ($8.00)
Spiced Roasted Chicken on Pita with Avocado Hummus and Garlic Sauce ($7.50)

Beverages

Kombucha Mojito Cocktail with Fresh Mint ($13.50)
Suja Organic Pineapple Passionfruit Kombucha (non-alcoholic) ($6.00)

Veggie, Veggie, Fruit, Fruit (§) [New for 2019]

Food

Grilled Asparagus Chicken Caesar Salad ($7.00)
Cauliflower Ceviche with Chile Corn Crumble and Tortilla Strips (VG) ($6.25)
Duo of Frozen Fruit Fruit Bars – lime and strawberry ($5.50)

Beverages

Cool Lime Michelada with Frozen Lime Ice ($11.00)
Davis Bynum, Sauvignon Blanc, “Virginia’s Block,” Russian River Valley, California ($14.00)
Chihuahua Cerveza, Limón, Premium Lager, Newport Beach ($9.25)

Citrus Grove (§)

Food

Orange Chicken and Rice ($7.50)
Citrus-brined Pork Roast with Tangy Barbecue Sauce and Lemon Pepper Slaw ($8.00)
Meyer Lemon Blue Diamond Almond Macaron (GF, V) ($5.50)

Beverages

Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule ($13.50)
Fever Tree Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) ($6.00)

I Heart Artichokes (§)

Food

Fried Artichokes with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Lemon Aioli (V) ($7.00)
Artichoke Toast with California Olive Tapenade (V) ($6.50)
Blue Diamond Almond Cake with Butter Streusel, Apricot Compote, and Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche (V) ($5.00)

Beverages

Chihuahua Cerveza, Rico, Premium Lager, Newport Beach ($9.25)

Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo (§)

Food

Harris Ranch Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider with Chimichurri Sauce ($8.50)
Salt and Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings ($8.00)

Beverages

Watermelon Lemonade with Watermelon Garnish (non-alcoholic) ($5.75)
Festival Beer Flight ($14.50) or By the Glass (listed below)
- Thorn Brewing, Barrio, Baja-style Lager, San Diego ($11.75)
- Strand Brewing Co., 24th Street, Pale Ale, Torrance ($11.75)
- Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Festiv-Ale, Belgian-style Brown, San Diego (Festival Exclusive) ($11.25)
- Brouwerij West, Dog Ate My Homework, Blackberry Saison, San Pedro ($13.00)

Off the Cob (§)

Food

Shrimp Boil Tacos with Andouille Sausage and Fresh Corn (GF) ($7.50)
Esquites Sweet Corn Nuggets with Bacon Lardons ($6.25)

Beverages

Citrus Radler, Lager with Grapefruit and Blood Orange Juices, T.W. Pitchers’ Brewing, San Francisco ($11.75)
Peach Tea with Peach Garnish (non-alcoholic) ($5.00)

Garlic Kissed (§)

Food

Black Garlic Soy-braised Pork Belly Banh Mi ($8.00)
Creamy Mac and Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumble (V) ($7.75)
Chocolate Crunch Cake ($5.50)

Beverages

Bloody Mary with Garlic-Stuffed Olive ($13.50)

Festival Beer Garden

Beverages

Beer Garden Flight
- 2 Towns Outcider Hard Apple Cider
- Ommegang Hennepin Saison
- Modern Times Booming Rollers IPA
- Karl Strauss Baltic Porter
Bright and Refreshing, By the Glass/li>
- The Dudes’ Brewing Company, Los Dudes Cerveza, Mexican-style Lager, Los Angeles
- Lost Coast Brewery, Watermelon Wheat, Eureka
- 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Outcider, Unfiltered Hard Apple Cider, Oregon
- Brewery Ommegang, Hennepin, Farmhouse Saison, New York
Hoppy and Bold, By the Glass
- Modern Times Beer, Booming Rollers, IPA, San Diego
- Divine Science Brewing, Third Contact, Gluten-friendly IPA, Anaheim (GF)
- Bear Republic Brewing Co., Apex, Double IPA, Cloverdale
- Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Baltic Porter, San Diego
Festival Indulgences
- Twisted Horn Mead, Blue Cloak, Mead, Vista
- Founders Brewing Co., Backwoods, Bourbon Barrel-aged Scotch Ale, Michigan

Paradise Garden Grill

Food

Beer-battered Cod with Steak Fries and Spiced Remoulade
Impossible No “Meat” Ball Submarine with Marinara Sauce topped with Soy Cheese and served with Kettle Chips (VG)
Beer-braised Pork Tacos with Pickled Apple Slaw, Black Beans, and Queso
Buffalo-style Roasted Turkey Leg with Celery Slaw and Crumbled Blue Cheese
Large Soft Pretzel with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce (V)
Black Forest Parfait – Layers of Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Chantilly, Chocolate Mousse, and Cherries

Beverages

Matanzas Creek, Sauvignon Blanc-Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, Nielson Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County
ʻŌlelo Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
Deschutes Brewery, Pacific Wonderland, Lager, Oregon
Sudwerk Brewing Co., Märzen, Amber Lager, David

Sip and Savor Pass

Back for 2019 is the Sip and Savor pass, this time offered to the general public as well as Disneyland Resort annual passholders. The pass provides eight tasting portions of selected food and beverage items from the Festival Marketplace locations listed above. Note that Paradise Garden Grill is included in this list, but don't expect to receive a full-sized portion of the entrées sold there. As with the Lunar New Year festival, the Paradise Garden Grill will serve a tasting-size portion of their Festival entrées to customers who redeem a Sip and Savor tab.

The “Sip and Savor Pass” is $54 to the general public (average $6.75 per dish), and $49 to Disneyland Resort annual passholders (average $6.12 per dish). Because sales tax is not applied to the price of the Sip and Savor Pass, but is to the food items, you also get an 8 percent advantage when you use the pass because you aren't paying sales tax. The passport itself is a plastic credential with eight snap-off tabs, strung on a lanyard. Passholders receive a special lanyard for their pass.

If you use all eight tabs to purchase one each of the eight most expensive items at the Festival, at best you save $15.75 (plus tax) compared to paying cash. You “save” every time you use a tab for an item that sells for $6.75 or more, but every $5 dessert or $6 non-alcoholic beverage you buy with a tab eats into that savings (and don't even think about using a tab on that $2.50 almond milk),

When the Sip & Savor pass debuted in 2016, we deemed it a waste of money, but the offer has gotten a bit better over the years. For 2019, our advice is again to decide what dishes you're interested in trying, then crunch the numbers to decide if this is a good deal for you. To get the most value from the pass, you need to be prepared to pay separately for less-expensive items, which will raise your overall spending. The Sip and Savor Pass is valid for the entire festival, so you can return each weekend to try new dishes and use up the tabs.

You can purchase the pass at the following locations:

Festival Merchandise carts
The AP Corner
The Studio Store in Hollywood Land
The Festival Gifts stand in the Hollywood Backlot

Festival Freebies

Culinary Demonstrations

After moving the live culinary demonstrations to the rarely used Palisades Stage in Paradise Park for the 2018 event, Festival managers decided to bring the complimentary cooking demos back to the Backlot Stage in Hollywood Land. This venue has very limited seating, so arrive early to snag a spot. No samples are served during these demonstrations.

The demos are at 3:00 p.m. on Fridays, and at 3:00, 4:15 and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sundays. The first demonstration each day is billed as a “family-friendly” presentation with Chef Daniella Malfitano. Listed here are the events for opening weekend:

Friday, March 1

3:00 – Family Time with Chef Daniella Malfitano

Saturday, March 2

3:00 – Family Time with Chef Daniella Malfitano
4:15 – Vella Cheese
5:30 – Nyesha Arrington – Native Son

Sunday, March 3

3:00 – Family Time with Chef Daniella Malfitano
4:15 – Vella Cheese
5:30 – Brian Malarkey – Herb & Wood

Junior Chef

The popular Junior Chef offering is back for 2019, and returns to its home in Hollywood Land. The Junior Chef program gives children ages 3 to 11 the opportunity to help “bake” a sweet treat, with help from Goofy and some Disney chefs. Every participant receives a packaged baked treat to enjoy after the activity. Long-time Disney fans may remember a similar program offered at Disneyland, and Disney tours the program around for community events.

The free offering is scheduled three times per day, so check the event schedule for the day you want to visit. Participation is first-come, first-served, and each participant must be accompanied by someone at least 14 years old.

Annual Passholder (AP) Corner

For 2018, the AP Corner has relocated to the Blue Sky Cellar, near the Golden Vine Winery. This area is open from noon to 6:00 p.m. each day, and offers a special PhotoPass backdrop for passholders, as well as an annual passholder-exclusive collectible button.

Extra-cost Events

Wine, Beer and Spirit seminars

Seminars are held at three locations inside Disney California Adventure:

Beer Education & Tasting Seminars – Paradise Gardens
Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars – the Vineyard Room, Golden Vine Winery
Wine Education & Tasting Seminars – Sonoma Terrace

All seminars are $20 per person, per session, plus tax. You must be at least 21 to enter the venue; neither children nor strollers are allowed in the seminars.

Listed below are the events for opening weekend. Availability was accurate as of press time, but may change. Visit the Disneyland website to view the full Festival schedule, and book future events.

Wine:

Friday, March 1, 2019
1:15 p.m. Fess Parker Winery
2:45 p.m. Bonny Doon Vineyard

Saturday, March 2, 2019
1:15 p.m. Bonny Doon Vineyard
2:45 p.m. Fess Parker Winery [Sold Out]

Sunday, March 3, 2019
1:15 p.m. Fess Parker Winery
2:45 p.m. Bonny Doon Vineyard

Beer:

Friday, March 1, 2019
3:30 p.m. Modern Times Beer
5:15 p.m. Backstreet Brewery

Saturday, March 2, 2019
3:30 p.m. Backstreet Brewery
5:15 p.m. Modern Times Beer

Sunday, March 3, 2019
3:30 p.m. Modern Times Beer
5:15 p.m. Backstreet Brewery

Spirits:

Friday, March 1, 2019
4:15 p.m. The Spirit Guild
5:45 p.m. Chopin Vodka

Saturday, March 2, 2019
4:15 p.m. Chopin Vodka
5:45 p.m. The Spirit Guild

Sunday, March 3, 2019
4:15 p.m. The Spirit Guild
5:45 p.m. Chopin Vodka

Sweet Sundays

Sweet Sundays are back for 2019, offering visitors a chance to start the day with a cooking demonstration by popular bakers and pastry masters. These hard-ticket events are $132 per person, and include a light breakfast and sparkling wine toast.

Sweet Sundays (click here to book)
Palisades Stage, Disney California Adventure

Sunday, March 10 – Jean-Marc Viallet (Disneyland Resort Executive Pastry Chef)
Sunday, March 24 – Matt Lewis (Baked)
Sunday, April 7 – Emily Ellyn (Food Network Star)
Sunday, April 21 – Keegan Gerhard (Food Network Challenge)

In the Kitchen With

Perhaps we should call these Savory Sundays. Visitors a chance to start the day with a cooking demonstration by celebrity chef. These hard-ticket events are $132 per person, and include a brunch buffet.

In the Kitchen With… (click here to book) – $110 per person, including tax & tip
Palisades Stage, Disney California Adventure

Sunday, March 3 – Fabio Viviani (Top Chef)
Sunday, March 17 – Richard Blais (Top Chef, Top Chef All-Stars, Iron Chef America and Chopped All-Stars)
Sunday, March 31 – Graham Elliot (MasterChef, MasterChef Jr. and Top Chef)
Sunday, April 14 – Claudia Sandoval (MasterChef and MasterChef Latino)

Dinner with the Disney Chefs

This signature event is new for 2019, and takes place on Thursday, March 28 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. at the The Vineyard Room of the Golden Vine Winery inside Disney California Adventure.

Celebrate the release of the new Disney Festivals cookbook and enjoy a four-course meal prepared by three of the featured Disney chefs, Culinary Director Chef John State, Chef de Cuisine Jimmy Weita, and Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Marc Viallet, with a delightfully-paired beverage menu curated by Disney Sommelier Jeannie Villarreal-Bissell.

The chefs will be available following the event to sign purchased copies of the cookbook. A limited quantity of the Disney Festivals Cookbook will be available for purchase at the event.

Tickets are $286 per person, including tax & tip. Purchase tickets on the event website.

Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions

Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions (click here to book) – $138 per person, including tax and tip
Carthay Circle Restaurant

Friday, March 22 – Kate MacMurray, MacMurray Ranch Vineyards
Friday, April 19 – Jonathan Emmerich, Silverado Vineyards

Author

Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

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