The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (185 page)

The
Pacific Wharf
truck no longer sells the intriguing, tongue-searingly spicy
Black Pepper Popcorn
($3.49), but still sells snacks like the
Cream Cheese Filled Pretzel
,
Jalapeno Cheese Filled Pretzel
, and
Mickey Pretzel
($3.69 each—add a cup of cheese for 89 cents).

T
he star at this stand is the beer.  For around $7 each you have your choice of
Amber Lager
,
Karl Strauss Endless Summer Light
,
Pintail Pale Ale
,
Red Trolley Ale
,
Tower 10 I.P.A.
, or
Windandsea Wheat Hefeweizen
.  What is
hefeweizen
?  Literally translated from the German,
hefe
is yeast and
weizen
is wheat. 
Hefeweizen
is a cloudy, gritty, unfiltered wheat beer–a beer for those who like some texture and tooth to their beverage.

Beer and ale lovers visiting
DCA
should make a point of dropping by this beer truck where the electronic cash registers are embedded in little metal beer kegs tipped on their sides.

To keep the park family-friendly, Guests are limited to two alcoholic beverages each, but that still gives you the option to try a coup
le of the interesting flavors.

With beer and pretzel in hand, Guests can relax at one of the umbrella-shaded tables on the wharf, and savor the micro-brew as they watch the world go by. 
Did You Know?
  California’s first brewery was the Adam Schuppert Brewery in San Francisco.  It opened in 1849, the year that the “Miner 49er” population exploded and San Francisco expanded to 20,000 inhabitants almost overnight.  Like boardinghouse keepers, merchants, and bakers, brewers and barkeeps flourished more than the miners during the gold rush!  Micro breweries didn’t develop until the mid 1980’s. 
Karl Strauss
was San Diego’s
first
micro brewery. 
Did You Also Know?
  If you like the brews you sample at the
Pacific Wharf
beer truck, visit
www.karlstrauss.com
for information about their other locations from San Diego to La Jolla to Universal CityWalk.

Rita’s Baja Blenders
(S)

[
FastView:
 
Tropical drinks with or without a kick.  A refreshing way to wash down your
Pacific Wharf
meal.
]

Rita’s Baja Blenders
is a kiosk in the courtyard between
Lucky Fortune Cookery
and
Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill
.  Simplicity itself,
Rita
’s is all about delicious blended drinks with a south-of-the-border flavor.

Rita’s Margarita
comes in your choice of lemon-lime or strawberry flavors and sells for $7.25. 
Rita’s Grand Margarita
adds a dash of liqueur, and, of course, the price is a bit grander; it will set you back $7.75 as of this writing.  To keep Guests from getting blotto, thereby ruining their (or others’)
DCA
experience, there’s a limit of two blenders per Guest.

A
Margarita is an alcoholic drink composed of tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice.  Its origins are murky, with multiple contenders for creator, but it seems clear that the Margarita originated in Mexico sometime in the 1930’s or 1940’s.  It can be dressed with a simple ring of salt on the rim of your glass, or blended more elaborately with different liqueurs and diverse flavored juices.

Rita’s Margarita
and
Rita’s Grand Margarita
are strictly for Guests of legal drinking age.  The kids or teetotalers in your group who don’t want to feel left out can wet their whistle with a non-alcoholic
Tropicool
, a refreshing, icy blend in lemon-lime or strawberry flavors, a bargain at $5. 
Did You Know?
Rita is often a nickname for Margarita, the Spanish version of Margaret.  One of the most famous Ritas in history was talented actress Rita Hayworth, a film goddess whose Hollywood career flourished in the 1940’s.  Rita, born Margarita Carmen Cansino in Brooklyn, New York to a Flamenco-dancing father and a Ziegfeld girl, had a tough journey to stardom, hampered by typecasting and resistance to her darkly beautiful appearance.  Only after anglicizing her surname by adopting her mother’s maiden name and dyeing her hair red was Rita able to break into mainstream Hollywood.  A phenomenal singer, dancer, and actress, once her star rose she secured a place among the pantheon of Hollywood’s most glamorous and beloved stars of all time.  Though her later years with plagued by Alzheimer’s disease, even after her passing she remains an icon of Hollywood’s golden days, and an inspiration to Latina performers.  Modern-day megastar Jennifer Lopez has cited Hayworth as one of her role models. 
Chip Tip:
  If you’re just looking to pick up a quick snack for the kids (or yourself), a $3 bag of chips is available at
Rita’s
, where lines are often short and move quickly.  Why wait in a long line at another restaurant or snack stand if you just want chips?

Sonoma Terrace
Beer Garden
(L,D,S)

[
FastView:
  World of Color
picnics were discontinued in June 2013.  This eatery at the
Golden Vine Winery
is now a beer (and wine) garden.
]

Located at the lovely
Wine Country Trattoria
, until June 2013 this terrace counter sold
World of Color
picnics for adults and children, and, for the grown-ups, suggested tasty pairings of wines or beers with the meals.

Each picnic
meal sold for around $17 and included a ticket for the
World of Color
show. 
All-American
,
Mediterranean Vegetarian
, and
Taste of Asia
were the adult choices; the
Junior All-American
(chicken) and
Lunchbox Classic
(PB&J) were for the kids.  Picnic boxes were packed with plastic utensils and napkins. 
Sonoma Terrace
was the location to pick up both pre-ordered picnics, and those ordered on the same day.

In autumn 2013, the
Sonoma Terrace
was reborn as the
Sonoma Terrace Beer Garden
, serving interesting ales, beers, and craft brews like
Butte Creek
’s
Organic Porter
,
Ironfis
t’s
Velvet Glove
,
North Coast’s Brewing Co.
’s
Brother Thelonius
, and
Bootlegger Brewery
’s
Rustic Rye IPA
.  Guests pay between $7.50 and $9.75 per beer.

All types of wine are represented too, from
Snap Dragon Reisling
($7.50 each) to
MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir
($13 each).

A limited snack menu is available
as well:  The
Cold Cut Plate
(
Cheese
) for $11;
Cold Cut Plate
(
Meat & Cheese
) for $12; and
Warm Bavarian Pretzel
for $5.  The cheese and cold-cut plates are served with fruit.  The
Bavarian Pretzel
is accompanied by Dijon or Spicy Honey Mustard.

Drop by this terrace for tasty brews, wines, and snacks in a lovely and relaxing atmosphere.
 
Did You Know?
 
MacMurray Ranch
wines are from
MacMurray Ranch
in California’s Russian River Valley.  In 1941, late actor
Fred MacMurray
(1908 – 1991) purchased the ranch and raised cattle there. 
MacMurray
was a versatile and prolific performer with strong
Disney
ties in his later years.  Probably best known for film noir jewel
Double Indemnity
(1944) and drama
The Caine Mutiny
(1954), his
Disney
films included
The Absent-Minded Professor
(1961),
Son of Flubber
(1963),
Follow Me, Boys!
(1966), and
The Happiest Millionaire
(1967).

Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery
(L, D)

[
FastView:
 
At this gorgeous table-service restaurant you’ll find
w
ines, beers, and a Tuscan menu you can really sink your teeth into.  Families, not to worry—there’s a children’s menu here too.
]

When
DCA
opened in February of 2001, its
Golden State
district included tributes to California’s agriculture (
Bountiful Valley Farms
), aviation history (
Condor Flats
), cuisine, culture, and fishing industry (
Pacific Wharf
and
Bay Area
) and mountains and forests (
Grizzly Peak Recreation Area
), but it also contained a small area designed to evoke the beauty and lushness of California’s wine country.

The
Golden Vine Winery
was its centerpiece, an elegant Mission-style building with warm golden stucco walls, dark wood accents, and tiled roofs, balconies and terraces, set amidst a hillside planted with diverse, carefully labeled grapevines.  The effect is as if a small Napa Valley winery and its vineyard were
magically
transported to the park property.

Guests could tour the area, learning about California wine making and viewing a film about the subject in a stone-and-timber wine cellar dubbed the
Seasons of the Vine Theater
.  Due to light attendance,
Imagineers
scrapped the
Seasons of the Vine
film.  They transformed the space into the very popular
Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar
in 2008, while maintaining the building’s richly evocative wine cellar theme.  The
Golden Vine Winery
was folded into the
Pacific Wharf
district, but its glorious restaurant remains.

The pretty
Wine Country Trattoria
specializes in Italian cuisine.  Whether you’re celebrating a special milestone or just want to treat yourself to a delicious meal in tranquil surroundings, the
Wine Country Trattoria
will enchant you.  While it can accommodate families and children, its formal vibe, its glasses, flatware, and linen napkins, make it a natural for more grown-up meals, for dates, anniversaries, and business gatherings.

Begin your meal with the
Caprese Salad
($8), the
Chef’s Soup Selections
($6.50), the
Frito Misto
(artichoke hearts, calamari, green beans, and mussels) for $10, the
Italian Insalata
with red wine vinaigrette ($6), or the
Rustic Brushcetta
($7.50).  (
Wine Country Shrimp
($9.50) are available for dinner only.)  Entrée salads (served at lunch only) include the
Arugula Salad
($15.50),
Trattoria Salad
($13.50), and
Tuscan Salad with Grilled Shrimp or Chicken
($16).

The
Trattoria
’s entrée selections expanded in 2010.  They still include the
Roasted Vegetable Panini
for $12.50 each (lunch only).  The
Chicken Panini
has recently been replaced by the
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
for $12.50 (lunch only).  The
Lasagna Rustica
($17.50) is still on the menu, now joined by
Today’s Sustainable Fish
($20.50) or
Pasta Your Way
($18) which allows you to select campanelle, spaghetti, or tagliatelle prepared
Alla Vongole
(with clams),
Bolognese
(with beef and Italian sausage), or with
Shrimp Scampi
. 
Pasta Your Way
for the more modest price of $15.50 gives you a choice of
Broccolini Aglio Olio
(with arugula, garlic, spinach, and tomatoes) or
Quattro Pomodoro
(with basil, garlic, and tomatoes).