Can you confirm if there are raccoons under their hats?
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I loved Everything Everywhere, best movie I’ve seen in a while
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Yes, baby ones.
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Woah, there’s a Napa Rose thread here? I might dine there if I ever go to Disneyland on my first trip during their Halloween/Holidays season with their park wide seasonal decorations. I always wanted to go during that time.
Otherwise, Disneyland is way too pricey, it’s so crowded there, their park isn’t well maintained (Indiana Jones ride’s special effects don’t work well) and I’m not a fan of their nickel and diming coughGenie+cough. I’ve had my fun with my month I had with my Annual Pass back in 2020. Thankfully I got most of my money refunded.
I’m saving my vacation funds for my dream trip to Tokyo Disney Resort in 2024-2025 when their new land expansion opens up at DisneySea. I will especially book a room with Harbor view at Hotel Miracosta in Tokyo Disneysea (this hotel is inside this theme park!).
I can talk a lot about Disney parks. I think about planning my trips to Tokyo Disney Resort often.
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Just watched it. Damn good.
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Trash panda!
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In the words of a wise and great @moonboy403…
These reservations were 2 months in the making. We paired up with some fun friends for a parents’ night out.
Valet parking is free (for 5 hours) at the Grand Californian since they know you’re about to drop dime on dinner. So it’s worthwhile to arrive early for dinner to grab a drink at Hearthstone Lounge.
Cocktails are pretty good and the prices you pay here are not significantly different from what you’ll pay at any hotel in the city. Captive audience.
We strolled over to Napa rose and were seated at the entree station. Great seats. We were assigned our lead sous chef for the evening and it was time for fun.
Note: a lot of drinking went down this evening. Cocktails and wine pairing. They forgot to give us our menus for the night, but also we were having a good time so it wasn’t our prerogative to ask when we closed up our tab for the night.
Ceviche with Osetra caviar + 2018 Argyle Brut Rosé
Not usually a fan of any wines from Willamette Valley, this paring worked really well and I wouldn’t mind drinking the rosé alone at home.
Salad course with a crab & shrimp fritter and lamb-y braise hidden underneath the greens + 2018 Empire Estate Riesling
I could have eaten a ton of those little creamy crab and shrimp fritters. The alternate option to this included falafel and no lamb-y mushroom braise…so if you can manage it, tell the team you have zero restrictions and they will serve you all the fun stuff. Riesling was good and complimented the seafood and braise well.
Scallop or fire-roasted octopus + 2019 King Estate Pinot Gris
I was given the octopus which was meaty and tender at the same time. I really enjoyed the Pinot Gris which worked well with both fishes. I got one bite of that scallop and not only was it perfectly seared, but it tasted like seafood candy.
Mushroom cappuccino + 2018 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec
Apparently the mushroom cappuccino “soup” has been a menu staple for 20 years. People won’t let them take it off the menu. The Malbec did justice to the earthy soup.
Intermezzo - Yuzu ice cream and granita
This was a delightful little palate cleanser. The pastry chef showed a lot of restraint as the yuzu was soft and almost floral like. Not the traditional hit of yuzu that you would normally expect.
Roasted duck + 2016 Elk Cove Estate Pinot Noir
My one gripe is that my duck skin was not crispy. This was essentially fall on a plate…which I get that it’s September, but we had just had a week of hell weather-wise in southern California so maybe I wasn’t ready for autumn yet. Notes of cherry and black currant and spices in the wine worked beautifully with the duck.
Cheese course + 2019 Pierre Spar Alsace Grande Reserve Pinot Blanc
Can I remember what cheese was in this delightful puff pastry? No. Did I enjoy it with the stone fruit chutney it was served it? Yes. I hadn’t had a Pinot Blanc before and I really should keep it in my rotation. This is a wonderful wine for a warm summer day that’s bright and refreshing while having just a hint of sweetness.
Chocolate madelines and roasted apples
These were adorable…and was another reminder autumn is upon us. I loved the crisp still on the madeline letting us know these were fresh from the oven. The roasted apples were so good, you could have thought they had been scooped from a lovely apple pie.
Stone fruit panna cotta or apple cake + 2018 Barton & Guestier Sauternes
That stone fruit dessert was quite lovely. Peaches and nectarines with a peach sorbet, panna cotta, and a black sesame macaron…nice way to end a meal. The Sauternes was probably a little too sweet for me, but it worked. The apple cake was nice but seemed repetitive after the madelines.
Service was really great. We were well-taken care of and enjoyed our evening out.
Nothing will blow your mind here. But the cooking is very competent and solid. The best surprise of the night was how much I enjoyed the wines. Each one would have been good on its own to drink but paired really well with each course.
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Time for a more adventurous tasting menu for the Mr since he enjoyed this one!
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I remember this part lol and I think we forgot a menu too. @moonboy403 sent me a photo. At least you paid attention to the pairings! I was a bit overwhelmed. 
Lovely report!
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Only because I was smart enough to take photos of the bottles. No way I was going to remember everything.
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No but you also remember how well each one paired! Impressive.
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Partially because I was so surprised how well each pairing was and the fact that many of the wines were from the PNW. I’ve not had much luck when having wines from the region before regardless of the price point.
I also feel as if the pours became more generous as the night progressed.
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Yes, more generous. 
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He’s not wrong about the wine service. Their wine service is passable for a resort restaurant but with the list they have and the price the bottles are at, they need someone who knows how to prepare a $4000 bottle of 30 year old burgundy and also recognize when the bottle is bad.
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Michael Jordan was stolen away from the joint when The Ranch opened.
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Chef’s Counter price is going up to $200, Wine Pairing $110 next year (2024).
I thought about dining there solo, though I’m not sure after the price hike. Is it still worth going?
At that price, nope!
Go to Hibi with a party of 4 and order everyone on the menu instead.
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