This past Thursday (August 15, 2013), I had the extreme pleasure of attending The 6th Annual Taste of Downtown Disney, with all the proceeds benefitting CHOC Children’s, a nationally recognized children’s hospital located in Orange County, California.
It was a wonderful evening showcasing the wonderful dining options located right in the Downtown Disney District and benefitting the wonderful pediatric care that CHOC Children’s provides to their patients.
The event began at 5:30 p.m. and went until 10 p.m. My guest and I checked in at the Grand California Convention Center Reception. We each received a lanyard with our group name and we were told that we would spend approximately 15-20 minutes at each restaurant, sampling small plates and different beverages on a beautiful summer evening. We were assigned to the “Monorail Red” group but there were plenty of other colors, including yellow, white, and blue in the mix. Be prepared readers – these next few photos are bound to make you hungry!
Our “Taste” tour began at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen. I really enjoyed each themed display from event sponsor Sprouts, and that each restaurant had their own signage for the event.
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| Sprouts Display – Mardi Gras! |
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| Bruschetta bite in a watermelon puree |
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| New Orleans Rum Hurricane & Red Snapper Junipero Gin Cocktail |
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| Duck confit with potato gnocchi – delicious! |
Then we were escorted to ESPN Zone, which featured beverages from local Anaheim craft brewery, Noble Ale Works!
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| Anaheim’s own Noble Ale Works |
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| Sprouts Display – Sports-themed! |
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| Parmesan garlic fries |
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| Toffee bread pudding bite |
Our third stop was Tortilla Jo’s, which served up freshly-made guacamole and chips, chicken taquitos, Ensenada Brewing Co. beers, and Karma Tequila margarita.
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| Sprouts Display – Mexican food |
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| Delicious chicken taquitos |
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| Beer offerings from Ensenada Brewing Co – yes, Horchata beer! |
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| Aguas Frescas |
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| Good Karma Margarita, courtesy of Karma Tequila |
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| The beautiful spread for fresh guacamole and chips |
The evening continued at the UVA Bar at the Catal Restaurant, featuring wines from Francis Ford Coppola Winery.
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| UVA Bar Signature Cocktail with whiskey & muddled blackberries |
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| Corn cake with pulled pork on top |
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| Lamb sliders |
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| Francis Ford Coppola wine display |
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| Octopus salad |
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| Shrimp cocktail bites |
The group was then escorted to a live painting presentation called Art Attack, “a live art experience committed to the conservation of wildlife.” At first, we had no idea what artist Stephen Fishwick was painting, and then he spun the painting around the reveal that it was a gorilla! So impressive!
The night didn’t stop there! The Monorail Red Group then made our way to the Wonderground Gallery to enjoy some refreshing lemonade or Tropical Fruit Punch and admire the alternative Disney artwork. I even had Disney artist Dave Avanzino in my group and watched an artist sketch out Wreck-It Ralph.
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| Refreshing lemonade and fruit punch |
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| Sandwich bites |
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| Disney artist Dave Avanzino! (center) |
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| Artist working at Wonderground Gallery |
After the sun had set, our group then traveled over to the Anaheim House of Blues and enjoyed several delicious morsels, including beers from Anchor Brewing, kale salad, and pulled pork sliders.
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| Sprouts Display – Rock n Roll snacks |
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| Beers on tap: Anchor Brewing |
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| Close-up of the pulled pork slider |
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| Kale salad with stawberries |
Our last restaurant stop of the evening was Naples Ristorante, where we dined al fresco in the patio area…
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| Dining on the patio at Naples Ristorante |
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| Risotto balls in marinara sauce |
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| Eggplant Pizza |
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| Red wine available for guests |
Then all of the colored lanyard groups joined together for a dessert reception hosted by La Brea Bakery and Jamba Juice. Attendees got the opportunity to sample Jamba Juice smoothies, hot cups of coffee, and an array of different pastries, all under the lights of the Disneyland fireworks!
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| Pastries of all kinds! |
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| Disneyland fireworks explode as people grab evening coffee |
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| Fireworks! |
This evening showcased many of the wonderful eateries and gourmet offerings in the Downtown Disney District and benefited a wonderful organization. I highly recommend that you check out this event next year!
(Visited 384 times, 5 visits today)
My goodness! That guacamole looks amazing. I think I need to go eat lunch now.
Looks like Disneyland pulled out the big guns to treat everyone =]! Did they announce on the spot how much was raised?
Oh my gosh I’m so jealous of you! This looks like my idea of heaven 🙂