The 8th Annual Taste of Downtown Disney, which benefits CHOC, was held Thursday, August 13 in, of course, Downtown Disney. All of the food locations participated in making this event a success. At check in, you were given a colored lanyard which determined the group you were in. I was in the green group, or ‘Green Army Men.’ You would spend 15-20 minutes at each location tasting food and enjoying an adult beverage and some entertainment. Then you moved on to the next location.
The Green Army Men Tour started at Earl of Sandwich. We each got an appetizer portion of a Caprese sandwich and a passion iced tea, courtesy of Starbucks. Kettle corn was also available at each location. I don’t eat Caprese sandwiches a lot, but I can definitely see myself getting one at Earl of Sandwich on a return visit.
From Earl of Sandwich, we were led to Catal/Uva Bar. Two beers were the specialty drinks at Uva Bar. India Pale Ale and Del Mar Street, both courtesy of Left Coast Brewing Company. Complimentary key chains were also available, and as a keychain collector, I did take one. Food wise, a chilled tomato soup and a Serrano ham and grilled cheese sandwich were available for tasting. From Catal/Uva Bar, we made our way to ESPN Zone. Potato grits with pork, fries, and more alcoholic beverages were available. The grits had lots of flavor. I’m not sure if they are available on the ESPN Zone menu, but they were a delight.
From ESPN Zone to Tortilla Jo’s, where we had chips with guacamole, and tacos. Margaritas were also available here. I tend not to drink adult beverages, but I couldn’t resist having a margarita, and it was a bit strong. Some artwork done by kids from CHOC was on display. After Tortilla Jo’s, we were led to Naples. I haven’t eaten at Naples in quite a long time so getting to sample some food here was nice. I had a slice of roasted vegetable pizza and some prosciutto. Caprese skewers were also available, but I passed on those. I also had a sample of Rosé, and it paired well with the pizza and prosciutto.
After Naples, we are our way to the WonderGround Gallery. Lemonade and beef and potatoes from La Brea Bakery were available here. You could also watch an artist paint. This particular artist was designing and painting Belle’s dress. There was also a monitor where you could see the artist work. After a few moments at WonderGround, we went to the area just outside of the AMC Theatres where a performance from the Anaheim Ballet awaited us. This was a delight to see. The ballet dancers work very hard to put on almost perfect shows, and it definitely showed in this performance.
From the Ballet, we went to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen. Jazz, bacon wrapped shrimp, and more adult beverages were on the menu here. The jazz was very enjoyable, and it was nice to sit and enjoy it for a while. After the Jazz Kitchen, we were led to the upstairs lounge at House of Blues. Meatball sliders, island turkey burger sliders, house made chips, and more adult beverages were on tap here. Both sliders had a lot of flavor. They were a bit bigger than I expected. Maybe it was the house chips and the food from throughout the evening that made it almost impossible to finish the sliders.
And after all of the delicious food, it was time for dessert. The area between Tortilla Jo’s and House of Blues was set up with tables and chairs. Strawberry Surfrider, similar to a strawberry lemonade, from Jamba Juice, cookies, and bread pudding were available. We were also treated to the ‘Disneyland Forever’ fireworks, but there was no music.
To sum this event up, it’s basically a mini food and wine festival. It gave you a chance to enjoy some food and adult beverages from locations that we tend to bypass at times. This event was also held to benefit CHOC and promote the annual CHOC Walk coming to the Disneyland Resort on Sunday, October 11. To sign up and participate in the CHOC Walk in the Park, go to chocwalk.org. You’ll be glad you did!!