On a recent weeknight, my wife and I were able to have a date night at Disney California Adventure. We decided to partake in the World of Color Dining Package at Wine Country Trattoria. Both Ariel’s Grotto and Wine Country Trattoria offer similar dinner packages for $39.99 ($20.99 for kids and Annual Passholder discounts are available), which include entrance into the preferred viewing area and a prix fixe menu.
Once seated, our waiter brought us a bread basket with herb ciabatta rolls, which we dunked in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that sits atop each table.
The Trattoria menu begins with a choice of an arugula, fennel, red onion, walnut, and goat cheese salad or the chef’s soup selection. We shared the salad and an Italian wedding soup. We thoroughly enjoyed both. Of note was the soup. Italian wedding soup can sometimes be same old same old, but we were surprised by a fresh hint of lemon and how aromatic the soup was.
A variety of entrees are available including herb-roasted chicken breast, seafood pasta, sustainable fish, braised lamb shank, roasted beef tenderloin, and broccolini aglio olio pasta. No matter what your taste preferences are, you can find something on the menu. I chose the beef tenderloin with gorgonzola potatoes, sauteed green beans, and a mushroom chianti sauce. This dish was good, however I don’t recall any actual gorgonzola on what tasted like boring roasted potatoes. The green beans and tenderloin were tender and tasty, but they were nothing special. The mushroom chianti sauce was the definite highlight. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I asked for extra.
My wife ordered the seafood pasta tossed with shrimp and scallops with garlic and herbs in a light pomodoro sauce. The seafood was cooked perfectly, which is a feat in and of itself. In terms of flavor, it was good, but again, nothing special.
Dessert is served as a platter of mini versions of tiramisu, fruit crostada, vanilla bean panna cotta, and a chocolate hazelnut mousse. In order of taste, we loved the tiramisu and the crostada. The panna cotta was excellent minus the overly tart berries on top, but the mousse was pretty bland. The dessert being a sampling is a nice touch allowing everyone to try a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
While waiting to be seated, guests can order a glass of wine at the wine bar, just to the right of the entrance to the Trattoria. On the menu, wine flights are available and each entree has a suggested wine pairing. Other spirits and press pot coffee are available as well.
All in all, we liked our meal, but I must confess that I have had the World of Color Dining Package at Ariel’s Grotto as well. I know I never shared it on a blog. Please accept my sincere apology. That being said, I enjoyed the experience at Ariel’s Grotto more. Considering both packages are the same cost, Ariel’s Grotto tasted better, had more unique offerings, and is inside. When we went to Wine Country, it was cold and the majority of the tables are outside. Dining package guests do not get their choice of seating location within the restaurant (not that they should–this is just for informational purposes). Personally, I liked the dinner at Wine Country Trattoria, however, I prefer the dinner at Ariel’s Grotto.
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