2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival – Gluten-Friendly Options
As spring rolls in each year so does a delicious event at the Disneyland Resort. With more choices than ever, the 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival gluten-friendly selections will astound you. This year brings a spectacular array of gluten-friendly options for everyone to enjoy as well as some more than cheat-worthy selections. The allergy-friendly menus are posted at the bottom of this review to help you find selections that fit your diet. Whether you avoid gluten, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, or eggs, you are sure to find something to eat. In this blog, I will cover the gluten-free selections that I tried. My other blog features some of the best cheat-worthy options when allergies are not an issue.
This year, I could not possibly try all the 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival gluten-friendly options in one visit. There are surprisingly more selections than previous festivals, as well as some good cheat-worthy dishes. Some of the gluten-friendly selections that I did not try include Cauliflower Ceviche, Shrimp Boil Tacos, and the Duo of Lime and Strawberry Frozen Fruit Fruit Bars.
The Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo booth is an excellent place to start your 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival gluten-friendly tastings. The Salt & Vinegar Parmesan Chicken Wings make a return, this year with the removal of the beer, and are suitable for all but dairy allergies. While I prefer the removal in order to make the dish gluten-friendly, I think something of the flavor becomes lost. Still a fantastic portion of wings, well worth the cost. I just wish they had added more vinegar to the mix to bring back some of the
At Uncork California is what I consider the hidden gem of the festival, the California Artisan Cheese Selection. I found most people overlooked this dish which is actually quite a shame since it is one of the best for the price. A choice of a Point Reyes Blue Cheese or a Fiscalini White Cheddar, I opted for the Cheddar myself. The dish comes prepackaged in a lidded container, nice for carrying around with you for snacking while in line. Inside are some fresh grapes, dried apricots, dried pineapple, sugar roasted nuts, two pre-packaged packs of crackers, and of course, a nice sized portion of cheese. The cheddar did have a bit of wine taste to it, which might make it unappealing to children, but of course, there is plenty for them to enjoy. The best part is that the crackers are pre-packaged so that you can just remove them with no problem. Only warning, they store this in the refrigerator, so the nuts are a little bit damp and not crunchy.
Next up in this 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival gluten-friendly review is the Citrus Grove booth with the Citrus-brined Pork Roast. A Tangy Barbeque Sauce roasted piece of pork with a Lemon-Pepper Slaw and usually crispy onions on top. But if you leave off the onions, you have got another stellar dish that is gluten-friendly. And the best part, if you ask for it without onions, they will prepare you a fresh one. On mine, they loaded it up with probably the largest portion of meat I have ever gotten at a festival. The dish was incredible, tender and juicy pork with a tangy slaw to complement the flavors. This is a must have at the festival. Also, I love how the allergy menus tell you what to leave off to make the dish suit your dietary needs.
While you are there make sure you grab the Meyer Lemon Blue Diamond® Almond Macaron. A delicious macaron with a lemon crème filling and a delightful berry compote in the center. Another fantastic macaron added to the festival list.
You can get one of my favorite 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival gluten-friendly recommendations at Berry Patch: Strawberry & Coconut Rice “Frushi.” Having had the various iterations of Frushi at the Epcot festivals over the years, I can safely say that this is the best version yet. A strawberry “seaweed” filled with rice pudding and fresh strawberries and topped with a sweet Oikos® yogurt wasabi sauce, and black sesame seeds. Sweet and delicious, a perfect dish for the kids and do not worry, the wasabi sauce cannot even be tasted. But be careful, I made the mistake of trying to pick it up before realizing that it is more of a dessert. Do yourself a favor and grab a spoon!
At Golden Dreams is the Chocolate-Peanut-Caramel Parfait. I wish I could say for sure what is in this dish, but I think that is part of the majesty of it. From what I could tell, there is a thick chocolate ganache, a caramel and peanut butter mousse, and a chocolatey caramel pile of clusters on the bottom. While it may seem small, the dish is just sweet enough to be savory. Something like a deconstructed Caramel Reese’s Cup, this is a must-have for everyone of all ages.
At the 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, I think Disneyland makes big strides in creating a menu that everyone can enjoy. With fantastic dishes, full of flavor that cater to people of all ages, this year’s festival truly takes the cake.
Thank you to Lissa Ryan of Kingdom Destinations for sharing these menus on Facebook and making it possible for us to bring them to you. Do not forget to check out our other blog with some awesome cheat-worthy recommendations.