The Wife & I just returned from a 3 night stay at the Grand Californian to celebrate my 42 Birthday. What an awesome hotel!!
Even though the DL resort is in our backyard, we had never eaten at the top two high end Disney resort restaurants, Napa Rose at the GC, and Steakhouse 55 at the DL hotel. So this time, we decided to have a splurge and try out Napa Rose.
What a beautiful dining room, fairly large and bright. The atmosphere is anything but stuffy. I'd compare the feel to Citricos or California Grill in WDW. Of course, as expected, the place is not cheap. My wife and I nearly fell on the floor laughing when our $18 Duck Meatball appetizer arrived. 3 tiny balls and maybe two small forks worth of pasta. It was delicious, but I could have easily eaten the whole thing in one bite. We were anticipating this and the meal continued on. I must admit, it was fantastic. With food, wine and tip, our bill totalled out to about $180. Very expensive for us, but a great way to celebrate a special occasion in what we thought was the best restaurant at the Disneyland resort.
That's what we thought until the next night.
A good friend of mine joined us the next day and insisted on treating us to dinner as a birthday gift. He's a very successful restaurant guy in the L.A. area and had hoped to take us to Napa Rose. But upon hearing we had eaten there the night before, he decided Steakhouse 55 would fit the bill.
We we're thrilled! We could now compare both restaurants on the same trip. Who would've thought?
Steakhouse 55 more than held it's own. We had eaten there for breakfast on a few occasions and found it to be a fantastic hidden gem.
But at dinner, it's a much different atmosphere. Fairly dark and intimate, it's got a smaller and more formal feel than Napa Rose. But also not stuffy. There were children present, as in Napa Rose, and no dress code appeared to be enforced. But the place still had a high end feel to it. Top notch service. The food was just as expensive and even more tasty. The filet melted in my mouth. A truly incredible experience. My friend whose quite a foodie was amazed. He felt Steakhouse 55 far exceeded most other fine steakhouses in the So. Cal. area.
While, for a special occasion, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. My wife and I prefer Steakhouse 55 over Napa Rose.
(Of course, maybe we feel that way because someone else was picking up the bill) Bon Appetit!
Even though the DL resort is in our backyard, we had never eaten at the top two high end Disney resort restaurants, Napa Rose at the GC, and Steakhouse 55 at the DL hotel. So this time, we decided to have a splurge and try out Napa Rose.
What a beautiful dining room, fairly large and bright. The atmosphere is anything but stuffy. I'd compare the feel to Citricos or California Grill in WDW. Of course, as expected, the place is not cheap. My wife and I nearly fell on the floor laughing when our $18 Duck Meatball appetizer arrived. 3 tiny balls and maybe two small forks worth of pasta. It was delicious, but I could have easily eaten the whole thing in one bite. We were anticipating this and the meal continued on. I must admit, it was fantastic. With food, wine and tip, our bill totalled out to about $180. Very expensive for us, but a great way to celebrate a special occasion in what we thought was the best restaurant at the Disneyland resort.
That's what we thought until the next night.
A good friend of mine joined us the next day and insisted on treating us to dinner as a birthday gift. He's a very successful restaurant guy in the L.A. area and had hoped to take us to Napa Rose. But upon hearing we had eaten there the night before, he decided Steakhouse 55 would fit the bill.
We we're thrilled! We could now compare both restaurants on the same trip. Who would've thought?
Steakhouse 55 more than held it's own. We had eaten there for breakfast on a few occasions and found it to be a fantastic hidden gem.
But at dinner, it's a much different atmosphere. Fairly dark and intimate, it's got a smaller and more formal feel than Napa Rose. But also not stuffy. There were children present, as in Napa Rose, and no dress code appeared to be enforced. But the place still had a high end feel to it. Top notch service. The food was just as expensive and even more tasty. The filet melted in my mouth. A truly incredible experience. My friend whose quite a foodie was amazed. He felt Steakhouse 55 far exceeded most other fine steakhouses in the So. Cal. area.
While, for a special occasion, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. My wife and I prefer Steakhouse 55 over Napa Rose.
(Of course, maybe we feel that way because someone else was picking up the bill) Bon Appetit!
