By Tinker Belle Diva
The outdoor covered patio
I really enjoy spending time shopping and eating at Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District (DTD). I have written about how you can spend time there, as well as reviews two of the sit-down restaurants – Tortilla Jo’s and Catal Restaurant. Today I’m reviewing another restaurant, La Brea Bakery Cafe. La Brea Bakery Cafe has a great location right at the entrance of the promenade at the east end of DTD. There is also a quick service option for La Brea called La Brea Bakery Express. You can grab a coffee and a pastry to go first thing in the morning, or even take a meal with you while you shop or head into one of the parks.
Short Rib Grilled Cheese
According to the Disneyland website, “renowned chef Nancy Silverton opened the first La Brea Bakery in 1989 and then went on to win the prestigious James Beard award for “Pastry Chef of the Year” in 1990. Since then, La Brea Bakery breads have set the standard for artisanal breads throughout the country.” We spent time in the main sit-down area of the La Break Bakery Cafe one night in the Spring 2019 for dinner. Here is what we thought.
I made reservations in advance on the Disneyland website, and we arrived about 20 minutes early. We went ahead and checked in at the hostess stand, and there was a table immediately ready for us. La Brea Bakery Cafe has a very casual atmosphere. All seating is outdoors under a covered patio and there are heaters in the ceiling if it is cold. We had a table at the edge of the patio and were able to people watch guests heading to and from the parks. There is also a view directly into the open kitchen. Your children may enjoy watching the chefs make pastries and breads. There is a brunch menu that is served until 3 pm daily, and then the menu transitions to dinner.
Fettuccini Alfredo with a margarita
Our server was prompt, friendly, and attentive. We reviewed the dinner menu and settled on our choices. We ordered garlic bread for an appetizer, but I was thinking deeply about getting the New England Clam Chowder Bread Bowl as it was on a table near us and looked delicious. The bread arrived quickly, and I enjoyed it as I like a good garlic taste and this bread had that. For dinner, I picked the Short Rib Grilled Cheese with a glass of Pinot Noir (Gnarly Head, Lodi, CA), my husband had the Fettuccini Alfredo with a Margarita on the rocks. Our kids had the Penne Marinara and the Chicken Fingers with fries. There is a nice offering of draft/bottled beers here, including a few from local breweries. In addition to the wine list, there are a cocktail offerings on the menu, but if you want something that isn’t listed, just as your server. The margarita wasn’t listed on the menu, but they were able to create one just like my husband wanted.
Kids Chicken Fingers
We all enjoyed our food. The mix of flavors on the Short Rib Grilled Cheese was unique and I loved it. It has caramelized onions, sharp cheddar, dijon and roasted garlic spread on wheat bread. I selected the fries as my side, but there are other choices. I wasn’t able to finish my meal, but I probably could have if we hadn’t ordered the garlic bread. The pastas were also good, and I was told that the pasta was cooked al dente, which is important to my husband who was raised on Italian food. My son is very picky about the breading on his chicken fingers. He doesn’t like it too thick, but also not too thin. Just like Goldilocks, he found these fingers to be just right.
La Brea Bakery Cafe has a great menu with so many choices. There were about a dozen entree sized salads to choose from in addition to full entries such as short ribs or salmon. There were also four dessert choices – bread pudding with whipped cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, dark chocolate ganache cake, New York-style cheesecake, and black market gelato (dark chocolate, vanilla bean or strawberry sorbet). We opted out of dessert as we were too full from our appetizer and main entrees.
Kids Penne Marinara
I can recommend that you dine at La Brea Bakery Cafe. I like the casual atmosphere and the outdoor shaded seating. If it was windy or blowing rain, I would probably suggest you dine in one of the indoor restaurants or go to the Express side of La Brea and take your meal to go.
If you want help planning your Disneyland Resort vacation so you can dine at La Brea Bakery Cafe, be sure to contact Patricia at All For Dreams Travel for a free vacation quote.
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