The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (203 page)

Pizza Oom Mow Mow
was expensive but casual. 
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
is a little more upscale and uptown.  There’s a flatbread pizza station, a salad station, and a pasta station where they cook your dish right in front of you, fresh off the flame.  There are separate stations for beverages, desserts and sides.

Kudos to the food–delicious!–and the cooks–talented!–but the layout of the restaurant can be
a tad confusing.  Take a moment when you and your party arrive to scope out where everything is and examine the offerings at each station.  Decide what everyone is going to get, and plan where you’ll all meet once everyone has their food, since in all likelihood, party members will be going to different locales throughout the eatery.

Note that trays
, while often stacked neatly near the entrance, are sometimes stored in deeply recessed nooks under the stations, not immediately visible when you enter, and silverware (yes, real silverware) is available at the check-out counters near the doors.

Where are napkins and condiments?  At stations
outside
the restaurant.  It’s a bit of an operation, getting your food and all the accoutrements together, but worth it for the taste and ambiance.

Bring your wallet to
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
, because the delicious food isn’t cheap.

You don’t buy whole pizzas here anymore; at
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
you enjoy flatbread pizzas, pre-sliced into four generous little squares and big enough for two light eaters or two kids to share. 
Cheese
is $8.29,
Pepperoni
$8.79,
BBQ Chicken
$9.29, or
Portobello Mushroom and Spinach
$9.29.

If you’re a very light eater or on a tight budget, you can
select a
Side Salad
for $4.39 or a
Fruit Tart
for $5.99.  Filling salads included
Boardwalk Field Greens
for $8,
Chicken Caesar
for $9.50, or
Italian Chef Salad
for $9.50.

If you have the patience, it’s a treat to watch a Cast Member cook up your pasta dish–yes,
pasta is cooked fresh on the spot, and spends very little time under heat lamps.  Pasta choices include
Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
,
Five-Cheese Ravioli
, and
Spaghetti with Meatballs with Pomodoro Sauce
all for $9.49 each.  The author particularly recommends the
Five-Cheese Ravioli
.

This is
stick-to-the-ribs, good, rustic, grown-up food at
Disneyland
.  Enjoy!

And kids with an appreciative pallet haven’t been neglected.  Kids
3 – 9 years old can enjoy
Kid’s Cheese Pizza
,
Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs
, or a
Turkey Meatball Sandwich
for $6.49 each.  Note that for children older than nine, kid’s meal portions will probably be too small.  All children’s meals come with fruits, veggies, and a low-fat milk, juice, or water.  Toddlers three and younger can dine on
Yummy Cheesy Macaroni
with apple sauce and low-fat milk for around $4.50.

Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
sells a wide assortment of beverages including cocoa, coffee, juice, milk, soda, tea, and water; prices range from $2 to $3.50 each.  Guests can also purchase
Bud Light
for $5.75 or
Peroni
for $7.

B
efore you check out, pick up at least one of the tiny-but-dense, to-die-for desserts, either the
Espresso Brownie
($3.29) or the
Limoncello Cheesecake
($5.19).  Grab two forks and share them–they’re that rich!  And it’s healthier (and less caloric!) to share.

All in all, the transition from
Pizza Oom Mow Mow
to
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
has been a sparkling success.  The lovely décor, attentive Cast Members, and wonderful food make this a must-stop for pizza and pasta fans on the pier! 
Did You Know?
  From June 21, 2002 until September 30, 2002, the original
Pizza Oom Mow Mow
hosted
Lilo & Stitch’s Ohana Luau
near its outside patio.  A promotional celebration of
Lilo & Stitch
, a hand-drawn
Disney
animated feature, the
Ohana Luau
opened the same day that the film was released and featured character appearances by
Lilo
and
Stitch
, performances, games, crafts, and contests. 
Ohana
is a Hawaiian word for family, a concept central to
Lilo & Stitch
, the story of a little girl and the hilariously troublesome alien “dog” that she adopts.
Stitch
still appears at
DCA
on occasion; the author spotted
Stitch
leaving a special
Hollywood Land
meet-and-greet for
Disney Visa
cardmembers in 2013.
Did You Also Know?
  In surfer lingo, which largely evolved in Southern California, “mauing” means to eat heartily.  The phrase “mow mow” in
Pizza Oom Mow Mow
plays in part on that image of devouring a meal.  In 1965 the Beach Boys, those troubadours of So Cal’s 1960’s beach-and-surf scene, covered a 1962 nonsense song by The Rivingtons.  The song’s title?  “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow”.
Beach Vision:
  Guests who love kicking it at the beach, or who love those campy 1960’s beach movies, should buy, rent, or stream
Teen Beach Movie
, the
Disney Channel
’s 2013 homage to the endless-summer beach movies of teen idol Frankie Avalon and former
Mouseketeer Annette Funicello
.
Kid’s Eye View:
  I loved
Pizza Oom Mow Mow
because they had really delicious food, especially the pasta. 
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
has delicious food and good service.  It’s a lot like the
Plaza Inn
, and I really love the
Five-Cheese Ravioli
, which might throw you off because it’s green, but don’t be scared off–it’s delicious and cheesy! 
Teen’s Eye View:
  Their 5-cheese pasta is amazing.  The eating area is so nice, a lot of tables.  Their chocolate brownie is delicious.  Different foods from pizzas to pastas to salads–amost everything.

Corn Dog Castle
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Popular, piping-hot corn dogs.  Lines move fast so have your order ready!
]

DCA
’s
Corn Dog Castle
is a little structure on the western shore of
Paradise Bay
that pays tribute to California’s romance with buildings designed to visually portray what they sell.  In this case, the
Corn Dog Castle
’s façade is topped with flat, 2D castle towers above a bright awning of hot-dog-red and mustard-yellow stripes.

The stand itself is small, so to draw attention to it a massive billboard towers just above and behind it, with a cartoony drawing of a king and the restaurant name,
Corn Dog Castle
, spelled out in massive letters.  Overall the look is fun and kitschy and absolutely non-
Disney
.  But Guests love it anyway.

When construction began on
The Little Mermaid:  Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
dark ride in 2009, fencing to protect and conceal the work site was erected along
Paradise Bay
’s western shore, obscuring and cutting off access to shops like
Dinosaur Jack’s Sunglass Shack
as well as the
Corn Dog Castle
.  Guests riding the
Golden Zephyr
could catch glimpses of the beloved
Corn Dog Castle
as they whirled past aboard the rocket ships.

T
he
Corn Dog Castle
reopened as planned when the
Little Mermaid
attraction launched on June 3, 2011. Although the
Corn Dog Castle
doesn’t really match its surroundings, because of its delectable corn dogs, many Guests are thrilled it survived, no matter what it looks like.  The
Corn Dog Castle
sometimes has a longer queue than some attractions.

Castle
corn dogs are piping-hot, thickly battered, gigantic treats that taste amazing with a mustard s
chmear
.  They include a side of healthy apple slices to alleviate the calorie guilt, or a side of potato chips. 
Original Corn Dogs
and
Cheddar Cheese Sticks
are $6.69 each. 
Hot-Link Corn Dogs
are $7.19.  To wash down your corn dog, a limited selection of beverages–cocoa, coffee, sodas, tea, and water–will run you $3 to $3.50 each.

According to the 2009
Zagat Disneyland Resort Insider’s Guide
, surveyed Guests rated
Corn Dog Castle
their third favorite eatery in the park.  It ranked third again in the 2010 guide,
even though it was shuttered during 2010
!  High praise indeed. 
Did You Know?
  Guests seeking corn dogs at
Disneyland Park
can visit the
Little Red Wagon
on
Main Street
.

Cove Bar
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
A grown-up retreat complete with cocktails and appetizers like gourmet sliders, but the
pixie dust
is here in whimsical creations like chocolate shots.
]

Disneyland Resort
not only sells alcoholic beverages at many of its restaurants, it actually operates bars on property. 
Disneyland Park
is the only “dry” district at
Disneyland Resort.  Downtown Disney
, the resort hotels, and
DCA
all serve alcohol.

DCA
’s
Cove Bar
is tucked away in
Ariel’s Grotto
at
Paradise Pier
, accessed via the
Ariel’s Grotto
entrance; simply cross the foyer and walk outside.  The bar is situated on a tall, covered pier that extends from the restaurant and overlooks the bay.  Guests of legal drinking age who want to relax and imbibe can choose from the
Cove
’s broad range of bottled and draft beers, cocktails, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Like most bars, the
Cove
offers appetizers.  Expect to pay between $10 and $13.50 each for
Bayside Fish Tacos
,
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
,
Buffalo Wings
,
Citrus-Marinated Shrimp Cocktail Martini
,
Lobster Nachos
,
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
, and
Tri Tip Sliders
.

Teetotalers and designated drivers can sip juice
s, sodas, or waters for about $3 per beverage.

Beer drinkers will
find domestic and imported brews on tap–especially beers by
Karl Strauss
.  Wine is sold by the glass or bottle and can run $9 to $16 per glass or $33 to $55 per bottle for sparkling, red, white, or dessert wines.

Signature cocktails here include the
Midway Martini
and the
Sideshow Novel-Tea
, perfect for sipping as one takes in a
World of Color
performance.  Ask also about the
Ghirardelli Chocolate Shots
.

While some Guests complain about slow service
(and even cold service), most praise the outstanding views of
Paradise Bay
and the
Cove Bar
’s mature ambiance; this is one of the refuges for grown-ups at a resort designed primarily for families and kids.  If you’re visiting
DCA
on a date, or to celebrate an engagement, honeymoon, anniversary, or business event, the
Cove Bar
is a good choice as a mature no-
Disney
-characters zone.

Of course, take note that
to reach the bar you have to run the gauntlet of the
Ariel’s Grotto
foyer, which is always mobbed with parents, kids, and babies in strollers all cooling their heels until they’re summoned downstairs to
Ariel’s Grotto
where an army of
Disney
Princesses
conduct meet-and-greets.