As our culinary quest continued, it was time to try out some breakfast places. When I say breakfast at Disneyland, many people think of the Character Meals found in the park and at the hotels, the always popular Carnation Cafe, or the Blue Ribbon Bakery on Main Street. Those places are tried and true, but since the goal of the quest is to eat at a different place each visit, we had to work harder than that. We had heard many positive things about Catal in Downtown Disney, so we decided to go there on a Saturday morning.
As is often the case in the mornings at Downtown Disney, the place was pretty empty. Don’t let that fool you into thinking nothing is open. In fact, there are definitely restaurants that are open and serve breakfast. When we arrived at Catal, the door was open and there was a placard inviting us upstairs to join them for breakfast. We were the only guests in the restaurant as they had just opened. I had hoped to enjoy their buffet, but the host told me that they had discontinued that a few months ago. My wife, son, and I sat down and were ready to try our breakfast at Catal.
We ordered two entrees from the regular menu and one from the kids’ menu. Of course we all shared each other’s food. My son ordered the pancakes with bacon for $5.95, which we all tried. The pancakes were delicious with a good malty flavor, and they almost didn’t need any syrup. It was enough for an adult, but it is limited to kids 12 and under. The other kids’ offerings were eggs and bacon and cereal with sliced bananas.
My wife ordered the Brioche French Toast with strawberries and a side of sausage for $12.95. It was moist and tasty. Both my wife and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I ordered and shared the Wild Mushroom Omelet with Caramelized Onions and Thyme, which was outstanding. Being used to buffets, I expected cheese inside. However, the omelet did not need it as I really enjoyed it without the cheese. The eggs were light and the caramelized onions and wild mushrooms were flavorful and complemented each other well. Other breakfast items include Eggs Benedict or Smoked Salmon Hash with poached eggs each for $13.95. Chilaquiles, a variety of omelets, and pancakes or french toast are all priced at $12.95. The menu also includes other traditional breakfast offerings.
We did have one issue with our breakfast at Catal. The price. We had no problems with the price of the food. $12.95 for an entree at Disneyland in Anaheim is acceptable, and when you consider the high quality of the food, a price I would consider reasonable. In addition, Annual Passholders get a 10% discount. Our issue was with the price of beverages. We were surprised to find out that the kids meal did not include a drink, instead the bill included a $2.50 milk. A cup of coffee was $3.50, and my Diet Coke (yes, I drink that in the morning) was $3.75. After taxes and before our AP discount, beverages were about 20% of our total bill. Maybe I am just Scrooge McDuck, but that was a definite disappointment.
We really enjoyed our breakfast at Catal for many reasons. First and foremost, the food tasted good and was well prepared. It is easy to go for cheap, easy and quick or default to a buffet when dining at Disney. Having this freshly prepared meal was a reminder of how breakfast can be very enjoyable when going to a good restaurant. Another aspect of our meal we thoroughly enjoyed was the atmosphere. It was leisurely paced and relaxed. Sitting above Downtown Disney watching families rush to get into the park as it opened was almost as enjoyable as our food. Sometimes we want the full intensive Disneyfied experience, and sometimes we just want a relaxing tasty morning. Breakfast at Catal is definitely relaxing and tasty, just remember to drink water and bring your kid a sippy cup.
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