Two new restaurants, Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill, opened recently at Disney California Adventure as part of the continued overhaul of the park. It took three consecutive days and five people, but we were able to sample nearly everything both restaurants had to offer. Such is the kind of heart-felt sacrifice I make for the readers of the DIS Unplugged blog and my Culinary Quests. I will focus strictly on Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, my overwhelming favorite of the two new restaurants. I will share my thoughts in Paradise Garden Grill on an upcoming blog.
The atmosphere of the new Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta is a great improvement over what had been there. I loved the design of the seating area, which allows for 900 guests. Despite all of the seating being outside, nearly all of the tables are well-shaded, and considering it was a hot weekend, the shade actually works. The huge size of the seating area does not feel too expansive, instead it is divided into smaller cozy sections of tables. There is also a stage, which features live musical performances at various times.
I could review item by item, but that would take forever. So here is the Culinary Quest review of Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. First, the good. Our favorite was the Italian Chef Salad. It had a plethora of Italian meats and cheese, olives, roasted peppers, and a tangy Italian vinaigrette. This is something I will definitely be eating again. At $8.49, this is a good value. There are also a Chicken Caesar ($8.49) and Boardwalk Field Greens ($7.49).
The flatbreads that have become ubiquitous on all new Disneyland menus were good here as they have been at all of their other restaurants. Boardwalk offers a BBQ Chicken, Pepperoni, Cheese, and Portobello, Mushroom, and Spinach Flatbread. They range in price from $7.99-$8.99. Our favorite was the BBQ Chicken.
Another favorite was the Five Cheese Ravioli with Pesto and Toasted Pine Nuts. It had a good pesto and garlic flavor, and adding the pine nuts (which aren’t cheap) was a nice touch. We will return for that dish as well. An interesting pasta dish on the menu is the Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato. I call it interesting because we didn’t taste any sun-dried tomatoes, and despite no warning on the menu, it was spicy. Now, if spicy pasta is your thing, you’ll like this dish. However, if you don’t, they also offer the usual Spaghetti and Meatballs. All pasta dishes are priced at $9.49. Although it isn’t stated on the menu, you are able to mix and match pastas and sauces as I saw a few customers doing just that.
For dessert, they have a Limoncello Cheesecake, which at $4.99 is overpriced based on its taste and size. At a more reasonable price of $3.29, the Espresso Brownie was moist and flavorful. Another dessert offering is the Fruit Pizza. Unfortunately, you are basically paying $5.99 for a glorified breakfast danish. I enjoyed it, but not for six bucks. If you want dessert, stick with the brownie.
They have the usual kid’s menu offerings including a cheese pizza, pasta with alfredo sauce, and spaghetti and meatballs. All of these are priced at $6.49 and include carrots, grapes, and a drink. Thanks to the new Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, we now have a new favorite restaurant at Disney California Adventure.
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